Education dept to start rationalisation of teachers to fill posts

MOGA: Facing criticism over poor Punjab School Education Board Class 10 result, the state education department has initiated the process of rationalisation of teachers to fill vacant posts in government upper primary schools as per requirement.

The move comes days after the PSEB declared Class 10 exam result in which the overall pass percentage of students slipped to 57.5% from 72.2% in 2015-16.

In a letter written to the district education officers on June 13, director general school education (DGSE)-cum-state project director, directed officials to set up a three-member committee to collect data pertaining to number of teachers and requirement in the school in their concerned districts. They have been asked to submit the data from June 14-21 to the DGSE. The DEOs have also been asked to suggest rationalisation as per the requirement of schools, following which the DGSE authorities will take the final decision. Speaking to HT, DEO secondary Moga Gurdarshan Singh Brar said they are in the process to gather details of teachers posted in schools of the district and will soon submit data with the DGSE. Under the state rationalisation policy, the teacher-student ratio in middle and high schools should be 1:40 while 1:50 in senior secondary schools. A master-cadre teacher has to take 34 periods in a school per week while a lecturer has to take 32 periods. The rationalisation process was first undertaken in 2015, after which following protest by teachers, the education authorities did not carry the process in 2016. Sources say process of rationalisation won’t help in filling vacancies in schools as teachers approach political leaders and either stop transfers or get posted to schools of their choice.