Surabhi Gorebal, Pune
On Monday afternoon, hundreds of teachers from every corner of Maharashtra gathered in front of the State Education Commissioner’s office to oppose the holdup in hiring for government schools.
The Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT), a requirement for hiring teachers in Maharashtra’s zilla parishads, municipal councils, civic bodies, and private aided and semi-aided schools, was passed by these teachers participating in the protest.
The recruiting procedure has not started for individuals who passed the TAIT this year. It is done online using the Pavitra Portal. The number of open teaching positions in Maharashtra government schools is about 60,000. We are still waiting for the process to start, said Priyanka Patil, a 27-year-old from Dhule, who was present in the demonstration. “The education minister promised to complete recruitment for 80% of the seats this academic year by June 14, but we are still waiting for it to begin,” she said.
“The last eligibility test was administered in 2017, and no new hires have been made. We demand the immediate employment of 55,000 teachers since we are waiting for positions for which we are qualified.”
The Bombay High Court’s Aurangabad bench already suspended the hiring procedure. The School Education Department has chosen to hire retired teachers on a contract basis until new instructors are hired to fill the teacher shortage in Zilla Parishad schools. Namdev Wagh from Thane stated, “I have been working for a daily salary for years, and suddenly we are not getting recruited despite passing the test this year.
He further said, “I completed my graduation from Mumbai University and a diploma in Education in 2009, but I am still waiting to get a government job.”
A few delegates met with Suraj Mandhare, the education commissioner, to discuss their requests. Mandhare stated, “We will recruit 50,000 teachers, but in stages and not in one go,” citing the time required for the Aadhar verification procedure and staffing pattern clearance. Out of the two crore students, the Aadhar verification procedure has been finished for 175,000 kids. Additionally, there are some problems with the roster because some are missing or not kept up to date. The official predicted that this would take some time.
“After the roster and the Aadhar verification are finished, we will start the first stage.”
Madhuri Leve from Pune said, “I have a Masters’s degree in English and Education, but I am teaching at a private school for a meager salary of Rs 12,000. I want a government job because the pay is better, and there is job security.”