Lack of art teachers hit state-run schools

Out of 181 govt schools, barely 30 schools have art teachers

State government schools face a shortage of teachers for art and education in Telangana. Out of 181 government schools in the city, barely 30 schools have the teachers to teach art, music and craft.

According the Samagra (earlier Sarva) Shiksha Abhiyan Scheme (SSA), every upper primary school with more than 100 students should have an art educator. The government, however, hired them only on part-time basis four years ago and thereafter no new recruitment had happened.

As per the SSA scheme, there is an evaluation procedure for art and work education too — for four subjects namely, computer, art, music and dance, constituting 50 marks each. As there are very few teachers for these subjects, others take these classes.

Mr M. Ravinder, vicepresident of Telangana Progressive Teachers Federation, said “These cocurricular activities ensure that children are destressed and learn something creative. But due to the shortage of teachers, the purpose is getting lost, because sometimes the existing teachers use the co-curricular periods to teach their own subjects, or else some other teachers teach them with low levels of proficiency.”

Experts say there are loopholes in the existing system, which makes the situation difficult.

N. Narayana, an education expert, said “Prior to 1980s, special teacher was hired on full time basis. But later on, the RTE allowed them to be hired on part time basis. But it has been further diluted with appointments being made on contract basis. The situation had got further aggravated after contract teachers left seeking better opportunities.”

An art teacher, Ms K. Sunitha, at Nehru Memorial Government School, Malakpet said that the children would be taught music, art and craft for two days in a week. She said they were paid only `9,000 month.