After 6 Days of Stir Over Regularisation, Delhi Govt Approves Policy for Guest Teachers’ Retirement Age

New Delhi: Even as the Delhi government announced a policy that would allow guest teachers in government-run schools to work till the age of 60 years, the teachers were apprehensive.

About 25,000 guest teachers have been agitating outside deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia’s residence since March 1 demanding regularisation of their services. One of them said they were yet to receive a formal order from the government.

Their contracts came to an end on February 8. On Wednesday, Sisodia said the policy did not require renewal of contracts.

“We are not sure what all clauses they might have added. They just made an announcement, which is not enough,” said Shoaib Rana, adding that the teachers were not consulted before the statement was made by the government.

The government-run schools have been directed to take attendance of the guest teachers on a separate sheet and not the regular attendance register.

“If they are regularising us, why are we being asked to mark attendance on separate sheets,” said Rana, adding, “We don’t even know if we will get our salaries based on this attendance.”

The teachers whose contracts ended on February 28 comprise almost one-third of the teaching staff in Delhi and the protest had been creating problems ahead of the exams.

This was also pointed out by Sisodia in a letter to Lt Governor Anil Baijal that he wrote on Tuesday seeking approval of a bill passed in the Delhi assembly for regularisation of the guest teachers.

The teachers said they were adequately qualified and had several years of service to their credit.

“I started teaching in 2012. The school was struggling with 45% pass percentage in board exams. We worked hard to ensure the students get good marks and now, the pass percentage is nearly 100%. The authorities seem to have turned a blind-eye to our hard work,” said Renu, a guest teacher.

However, the Delhi Subordinate Selection Board said almost 77% of these teachers failed to qualify the exam for permanent recruitment which was held last year.

The teachers alleged they were not given enough time to prepare for the exam. “The test was held at a time when mid-term exams were going on in our schools. We had papers to evaluate. We were not given even a single day off to study for the exam. Taking holiday was not an option as our salaries would have been deducted then,” said Renu.