Chennai Government School Heads Ordered to Fill Teacher Vacancies in Four Days
Government school heads in Chennai have been instructed by education officials to fill all vacant teacher positions with temporary staff within a four-day deadline. The directive, issued over the past two days, aims to ensure schools are at full teaching strength when they reopen for the new academic year on June 4.
Chief and district education officers instructed the school heads to hire temporary staff through their respective school management committees (SMCs). The vacant positions exist due to teacher transfers, retirements, or increases in student enrollment.
Although this hiring practice has been used for several years, school heads expressed concern that the instructions were delivered too late. With schools reopening in less than a week, school heads noted that finding qualified teachers and securing their appointments is an arduous process that typically requires a month of preparation.
One school head, who had to fill three vacancies in four days, explained that fixing joining dates and assuring candidates of payment can only happen after the government confirms budget allocations. Another school head recalled a past instance where instructions were sent via WhatsApp. Teachers began working on June 1, but because the budget allocation for salaries was only approved starting June 10, the hired teachers lost nine days of pay. School heads are now calling for formal assurances on government letterheads to prevent similar issues.
Temporary teachers hired through the SMCs are paid based on their qualifications. Postgraduates receive about Rs 18,000 per month, while bachelors in teaching (BT) for high schools receive Rs 15,000. Secondary grade teachers for elementary schools are paid Rs 12,000 per month.
Chennai Chief Education Officer M Kabir stated that the hiring is a periodic, year-on-year process. He added that school heads are familiar with the system and that teachers hired through the SMCs in the previous year can continue teaching in the current academic year, noting that vacancies rarely increase significantly.
