MUMBAI, MAY 31: If you pay peanuts, you will end up with monkeys. And if arecent resolution of the State's School Education Department is anything togo by, Maharashtra is going to be full of them. The department proposes tofill all vacancies in junior colleges by appointing teachers on a contractbasis paying them a less than a third of what a person with the minimumpermissible qualification would have earned otherwise.It was in March that the state government unveiled its policy of recruitingprimary school teachers on a contract basis for a period of five yearspaying them paltry amounts. Despite the protests that followed, it hasdecided to extend the proposal to the secondary and higher secondary level.The Government Resolution (GR) issued by the School Education Departmentdated April 27 which principals have begun receiving now, speaks of fillingall vacancies in junior colleges by recruiting teachers on a ten-monthcontract basis. The salary is fixed at either Rs 3000 or Rs 3,500 per monthdepending on the qualification. Compared to this, at present, a person withthe minimum qualification would get Rs 11,000 in the very least at the entrylevel. There are about 4000 such vacancies in the State, including 350 inMumbai alone. What this means is that even watchmen and peons would beearning more than these teachers who will also have to make do with theinsecurities that accompany the contract system. Besides giving an idea ofthe importance that Maharashtra attaches to education, it is also a pointerto the precarious state of the government's finances. Academicians arepredictably crying foul.The cash strapped government has taken the soft option in its efforts to cutdown on expenditure. As one of the department officials pointed out, thechoice is to either implement such schemes or allow the vacancies to exist.When contacted, the usually media-friendly Minister of State for EducationAnil Deshmukh declined to comment.President of the Association of Non-Government Colleges (ANGC) M GShirahatti told he Indian Express that this is gross discrimination. Withthis sort of salary, how can anyone expect to have qualified people take upthe profession? he asked. The ANGC is going to convene an urgent meeting onSaturday to discuss the issue.President of the Maharashtra Federation of University and College TeachersOrganisation (MFUCTO) C R Sadashivan condemned the proposal saying that itis utterly insulting as even peons and watchmen are paid better wages.Though officials categorically state that this proposal is limited to theschool education level, Sadashivan feels that it could later be extended todegree colleges as well.The vice-president of the Maharashtra Federation of Junior College TeachersOrganisation (MFJCTO) M R Andhalkar was certain that the proposal will endup being scrapped. "Even in 1973 they tried to implement such a scheme inthe primary section. It could run only for four months. It had to bewithdrawn following pressure from the people." Principal Ramakant Pandey ofBansidhar Aggarwal High School and Junior College , Wadala said, the policyruns contrary to the Maharashtra Employees of Private School Condition ofServices Act, 1977 and rule 1981 which bars recruitment of teachers oncontract. The teachers are thus awaiting the outcome of a petition filed bythe Maharsahtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad which has members from the primary,secondary and higher secondary schools in the Aurangabad bench of the BombayHigh Court pleading for withdrawal of these circulars.Officials harp on the success of the scheme in Gujarat and Haryanamaintaining that it will be restricted to the school education level andthat the teachers would be made permanent after five years. However, thereis no mention whatsoever of any increment in the salary during these fiveyears.Officials also point to the committee under the chairmanship of the DeputyDirector of Education to hear the grievances of teacher who are recruitedunder contract. However, the teachers are unimpressed.
