Assam: Outsourced staff likely to fill in grade-IV posts in schools

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The Assam Education Department is contemplating stopping fresh recruitment of Grade IV staff in government and provincialised educational institutions. The department has a plan to make do such jobs in the institutions with multi-tasking staff through outsourcing in accordance with the rules of the State Finance Department.

Education Minister Dr. Ranoj Pegu disclosed this during an event at Janata Bhawan here today. The event was to release funds under the Chief Minister’s Fee Waiver Scheme for students of Classes XI and XII in government and provincialised schools.

Dr. Pegu said that the department would consult the matter with stakeholders in the department, like school management and development committees, inspectors of schools, and others, to address certain controversies surrounding Grade IV recruitment. The responsibility for appointing multi-tasking staff will now rest with individual schools, instead of the education department.

Dr. Pegu said that the department has drafted service rules for school teachers in line with those of college teachers. The department will hold a meeting with school teachers about the proposed service rules on November 30, 2024.

The minister also hinted that service rules have been amended to create posts specifically for mathematics teachers. “Importantly, no contractual teachers will be hired in the future; only regular positions will be filled,” he said, adding, “The government is going to introduce smart classrooms in schools from the next academic session. We have provided digital televisions to many schools so as to allow them to introduce smart classrooms through which students can learn through technology. Since it is not possible to employ teachers for each and every elective subject, we need to provide the scope to the students to learn such subjects from the digital mode.”

Dr. Pegu highlighted the government’s commitment to quality education, stating that 9,000 more teachers will be appointed soon, all of whom must be TET-qualified and proficient in local languages.

He reiterated that schools must not charge any fees under the guise of tuition, emphasising that teachers’ salaries are covered by the government. Admission fees will remain waived under the Chief Minister’s Fee Waiver Scheme, ensuring free admission for students.

During the event, Rs. 18 crore was disbursed to 1,145 government and provincialised higher secondary schools via DBT, benefiting 250,899 students.

Also Read: Assam: Free education to poor students in private schools

Also Watch: