51K guest teachers to be hired to address shortage in Karnataka government schools

Faced with a severe shortage of teachers, the Department of School Education & Literacy has issued an order recruiting 51,000 guest teachers, the highest ever, for the 2025-26 academic year. 

Last year, the department had hired 43,000 guest teachers. School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa in a statement said, “The measure aims at ensuring the educational activities commence smoothly and on schedule, with schools set to reopen on May 29, 2025,” the minister said.

The appointments will be temporary, lasting either until permanent teachers are recruited and placed or until the conclusion of the academic year, whichever comes first, he added.

Of the 51,000 guest teachers, 40,000 will be deployed in government primary schools, and 11,000 will be allocated to high schools.

“This decision is crucial to bridge the immediate gap in teaching staff and ensure that our students do not suffer due to teacher shortage,” said Madhu Bangarappa.

“Our priority is to ensure that quality education is accessible from day one of the new academic year,” he added.

The government has also directed officials to prepare a detailed proposal outlining the honorarium structure for the guest teachers, along with their district and taluk-wise distribution. This indicates a structured approach to their deployment and compensation.

The government will take measures for recruitment of permanent teachers once the internal reservation issue is sorted. 

As per the data available from the department, as many as 20,875 teachers posts are lying vacant in Kalyana Karnataka region alone with Raichur district accounting for 5,401 vacancies.