Teachers unhappy over points in draft policy to regularise them

A day after the Delhi government said that the fate of guest teachers hangs in balance as a policy on regularising their services is pending with the LG, the teachers expressed their unhappiness over the important points in the draft policy.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said that a policy for making guest teachers permanent, which includes age relaxation and weightage according to experience, has been lying with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung since January and alleged that due to this the future of 17,000 guest teachers hangs in balance.

The Delhi government-suggested policy includes giving points to guest teachers on the basis of age and the number of years they have worked in the schools. One year experience will fetch .75 marks and the maximum is 2.25 marks for three years, following which an exam will be conducted to select them.

However, the guest teachers have termed the policy as a means to fool them and have expressed their disapproval over it saying that .75 marks for one year is “too less”.

“We do not want this policy. Even if the LG had approved it, we would have challenged it in the court. Most of the guest teachers have been employed since so many years in the government schools that we at least deserve eight to ten points for one year,” said Manish, a guest teacher.

He further contested the idea of exam for making the guest teachers permanent. “Why should we give the exams when the government had promised to make us permanent during elections and even after that. If they have doubts on our merit, they should check if we are following the recruitment rules,” he said.

The teachers termed Sisodia’s press conference on Thursday as a gimmick. “There are 9,623 permanent posts for guest teachers and only their files have been sent to the LG. Why did Manish Sisodia yesterday say that 17,000 teachers are suffering?” said All India Guest Teachers Association Praveen Tobaria.

Tobaria’s services were terminated by the government recently over “poor performance”, following which he had challenged the decision in the court alleging that he was removed as he led protests against the government over the issue.

“If the government cannot make us permanent, they should bring a seven years regularization policy and give us salary on par with permanent teachers, which is what the Supreme Court has said in its guidelines also,” he said.