Govt to recruit staff for non-teaching work

The Delhi cabinet has passed a proposal authorising government schools to recruit staff for non-teaching activities so that the teachers can focus on teaching.

School heads can now hire staff for work like documentation, maintenance of cash book, and taking classes on personality development.

“Asking them to do non-academic work is an injustice to both the teachers and students. We want that teachers should only focus on teaching work in a more creative way,” Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia in a statement.

“I meet teachers’ groups almost every week on lunch or dinner and during one such meeting they suggested that an expert or professional motivator guiding students on personality development will not only increase their confidence, but will be more helpful for them than teachers taking this up,” he said. The government has directed the schools to hire ‘resource-persons’ for such posts. 

The step has been taken as government schools face shortage of teaching staff.

Earlier, the government had directed government school principals to not depute teachers for census duty with the National Population Register (NPR) as it adversely affected the functioning of schools.

In addition to teaching, teachers also have to deal with paperwork only because of severe shortage of workers. Currently, teachers are involved in preparing bills, correspondence between departments, checking records and maintaining cash book and service book, which has a direct impact on children’s education, the government statement said.

The department has ordered the principals to hire individuals like retired lower divisional clerks and additional divisional clerks under the age of 65. “These persons will be appointed on a contractual basis on a consolidated amount of Rs 25,000. A school committee will be formed by the principal for this purpose,” it said.

Schools will also hire “estate managers” for taking care of complaints related to sanitation, broken bulbs and fans, broken windows, toilets and water supply.