‘Pool system’ to end shortage of school teachers
In order to overcome shortage of teachers in government schools, the Delhi government is creating a “pool system” in the national capital from which school principals can engage teachers as per requirement. Shortage of teachers has been a perennial problem in Delhi government schools, which severely affects learning outcomes and the student-teacher ratio.
The “pool” will be created for each district in Delhi for all subjects from Classes 6 to 12, following which principals will have to place a request with the district deputy director of the Directorate of Education (DoE) for engaging such guest teachers.
“These teachers will be selected as per the same merit and qualification that is in effect for existing teachers. This is a temporary arrangement to overcome the shortage in schools. Also, these teachers will be called for work when an already employed teacher goes on leave or training,” said an official of the Delhi government.
The government has already issued a circular in this regard and principals or heads of departments in schools will be able to approach the district authorities when the schools resume in July after the summer vacation.
According to Delhi government, currently there are around 9,500 vacancies in its schools. The government had earlier planned to recruit regular teachers.
However, the file has been pending with the lieutenant-governor’s (LG) office.
In the last academic session, the government had come out with a similar policy under which it allowed schools to appoint retired teachers to fill vacancies for three months.
“The file for the regularisation of guest teachers and recruiting regular teachers is still with the LG and it has been more than a year that we are trying to get more teachers. We can’t leave so many vacancies in the schools,” said another official.
Anguished by the vacancies, the Delhi high court had, in April this year, directed the authorities to take “immediate remedial measures” and had asked the authorities to formulate a plan of action.