Teachers divided over govt regulation

VADODARA, June 9: While the Vadodara City Secondary Teachers' Association is opposed to the recent government resolution GR, which woul...

VADODARA, June 9: While the Vadodara City Secondary Teachers8217; Association is opposed to the recent government resolution GR, which would render temporary school teachers surplus, some temporary teachers employed in city-based schools have welcomed the resolution, saying it would reduce their workload.

Association members, who are against the implementation, have pointed out that the resolution would not only render temporary teachers jobless but would also leave students pursuing B.Ed and M.Ed courses with little option.

Those students who are currently doing these courses and will pass out this year will face difficulty in finding jobs, said Jayanti Patel, one of the association members.

According to Patel, this year as many as 7,000 students from various colleges of the State would clear these courses.

However, a former B Ed student of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of M S University, Reena Talwar said, she would be happy if the resolution was implemented. 8220;Temporary teachers are paid very less and made to work more. Since we are not permanent we cannot even raise a voice. The end result is that we are underpaid and made to work more.8221;

Another temporary teacher employed with a city-based school questioned that that while schools demand a B.Ed degree for those aspiring to get into the teaching line, what was the use of undertaking the course if there was no hope of being made permanent.

According to Patel, there are as many as 2,800 teachers who have been rendered surplus in the State. He said the government would try to accommodate these teachers first to fill up the vacancies in schools.

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8220;Now, even schools will be left with little option to seek permission to recruit a fresher. Even school trusts will be at a disadvantage because with the ratio of classes and the number of teachers being reduced, there would be little hope even for those recruited on a temporary basis in schools,8221; he said.

When contacted, senior professor of the education faculty said the GR would put education students at a disadvantage, because though they would be able to get alternative jobs, it would not be as per their qualification.