Page 22 - EW August 2025

Education News

dation. According to ASER 2024, aided schools, serving lakhs
25.8 percent of children in class VIII of students. In a substantial
couldn’t read class II texts in their own number of these schools
vernacular language (Marathi). — particularly in rural
While Marathi champions like Raj belts — part-time teachers
Thackeray proclaim “We are Hin- fill essential gaps in teach-
dus, not Hindis,” the real issue is ing non-core subjects. Yet,
not language but the exploitation of official recognition of their
education for electoral and financial valuable service remains
gain. The Maharashtra government’s unfulfilled. Wasteful govern-
retreat from the Hindi mandate, fol- ment expenditure especially
lowed by the formation of a committee high establishment costs,
under Dr. Narendra Jadhav to review unmerited middle class
the three-language policy, does little subsidies and vote-catching
to address the root cause: a gover- Chennai part-time teachers protest consumption freebies result-
nance machinery that prioritises cro- ing in government budget
nyism over children’s futures. ment to issue permanent appoint- deficits as also low priority accorded
“Maharashtra’s education system ment letters to them. to public education, ensure volunteer
is being hollowed out by those who The origins of the issue trace back teachers suffer continuous inequity.
claim to protect its cultural identity,” to 2012, when under the Samagra In its 2021 election manifesto, the
reiterates Dr. Chakravarty. “The ob- Shiksha Abhiyan (the Centre’s incumbent DMK party had promised
session with Marathi-medium schools integrated scheme for school edu- to regularise part-time teachers and
isn’t about pride it’s about controlling cation covering the entire gamut extend health coverage to part-time
textbook contracts and teacher ap- from primary to class XII), the TN staff. However, that commitment
pointments.” government appointed 16,000 part- remains unfulfilled, even as govern-
Megha Chowdhury (Mumbai) time/volunteer teachers to teach ment proclaims that education bud-
‘special subjects’ such as music, art, gets have touched record highs.
TAMIL NADU tailoring, computers, and physical omments M.J. John Arokia
education. These teachers were hired CPrabhu, Vice President of the
Indefensible inequity with a consolidated pay package Tamil Nadu Private Schools Asso-
of Rs.5,000 per month, which was ciation and head of the legal team
lthough tamil nadu (pop.77 gradually raised to Rs.10,000 in of the Delhi-based National Inde-
million) has allocated a 2021 and Rs.12,500 in 2024. Against pendent Schools Alliance (NISA):
Amassive aggregate sum of this, the basic salary of a permanent “There is already a surplus of 3,800
Rs.55,261 crore for education in primary school teacher appointed by permanent teachers in Tamil Nadu’s
its 2025-26 budget — the highest- the state government is Rs.35,400, government schools. Realistically,
ever allocation for the ministry cf. which with allowances is Rs.40,000- there’s no need to employ part-time
Rs.44,042 crore in the previous 50,000 per month. With seven-12 teachers. But unionised permanent
year — thousands of school teach- years’ experience, a permanent teachers are difficult to re-deploy.
ers across the state are in part-time government primary school teacher Therefore part-time teachers are
employment, not entitled to the in Tamil Nadu could earn Rs.4-5 recruited to fill teacher shortages
generous pay scales stipulated by Pay lakh per year (Rs.35,000-41,000 per plus do election, census and other
Commissions established from time month). duties. With the legislative assembly
to time by the Central government, On the other hand, an estimated election due next year, part-time
and followed by state governments. 11,000 volunteer teachers, several teachers have become vocal about
Despite decades of service in of whom have completed over 12-14 their justified demand for pay par-
government schools, part-time ‘vol- years in service, are teaching in ity,” says Prabhu.
unteer teachers’ are undocumented, Tamil Nadu’s government schools Throughout July, volunteer teach-
underpaid, and denied permanent earning Rs.12,500 per month, and ers initiated statewide, non-violent
status. Last month over 5,000 part- are officially classified as “part-time,” protests. Demonstrations included
time teachers statewide protested, which also deprives them of pension, hunger strikes in Chennai and Coim-
staging sit-ins outside district educa- medical benefits and employment batore, black badge protests in over
tion offices and fasting at Chennai’s stability. 15 districts, candlelight vigils outside
Directorate of Public Instruction Tamil Nadu hosts 37,211 govern- block education offices, and petitions
complex, urging the state govern- ment-run and 12,631 government- submitted to the chief minister’s

22 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2025