Edu dept delays hiring more teachers

THANE: The municipal Englishmedium schools, which were started to provide good education to poor students, are facing dearth of teachers. The Thane mayor has alleged that despite several decisions passed by the general body to hire teachers, the education department is delaying the process.

He has demanded action against officials. On Friday, mayor Sanjay More drafted a letter to the commissioner, informing him about the dearth of teachers. He said, “The corporation took a revolutionary decision to start the schools in the city to provide good education to students from the weaker economic sections of the society who cannot afford education in private schools.”

“We had passed a resolution in the general body meeting in November 2013 to increase teachers in these schools. However, nothing us yet done in the last two years,” More said.

He said he had constantly followed up the issue with the education department but no action was taken. “I have asked the commissioner to take suitable action against the officers of the department who are not both- ered about the future of these students. I have also demanded that the appointment procedure of the teachers should be taken on priority basis.”

The letter however has not gone down well with the education department who claimed that there is no delay on purpose. An official from the education department said, “There are 51 approved post for Englishmedium schools. We have filled 38 posts and there is an requirement of 15 to 20 more teachers.”

He said after the general body’s decision in 2013, a proposal was sent to the state. “The state took time to study the matter. In August, we got their guidelines saying that since these schools are self- financed, we do not need their approval. We have tabled a proposal to hire the teachers.”