‘L-G not discussing guest teachers issue’

NEW DELHI: The regularisation of guest teachers in state-run schools remains a bone of contention between the Delhi government and the lieutenant governor (L-G) with education minister Manish Sisodia alleging that Anil Baijal refused to “even discuss” the issue when they met on Thursday.

But the L-G office said the two had discussed the matter and that the minister was informed of the legal constraints of the demands.

Sisodia wrote to the L-G on Thursday, after their meeting, that though the Delhi High Court had asked the two of them to put their “heads together and resolve the issue of guest teachers,” he was “deeply disturbed” that he was “not even willing to discuss the issue”.

“You said to me that the decision on this issue is your prerogative and you were firm on the stand that there was no scope for discussion... I do not understand why you are not willing to give consideration to the guest teachers for their experience? I am not asking for you to regularise unqualified teachers. But if there is a choice between two equally qualified teachers and one has experience of teaching in our schools and one doesn’t – does it not make sense to choose the teacher who has experience?” Sisodia wrote to the L-G.

A statement by the L-G’s office said that age relaxation had been granted to guest teachers to take part in the recruitment examination of the DSSSB. “Sisodia was informed that the matter has been examined in detail...it was the considered view that granting of weightage in marks to a category of candidates is violative of the rights under article 14 and 16 of the Constitution. Successive law secretaries have also opined against grant of weightage in marks in recruitment process,” reads the release from the L-G’s office.