Tamil Nadu - Chennai

School teacher posts will be filled up by month-end, says Minister

CHENNAI: Vacancies of teaches in all government schools were being filled up quickly and the aim was to ensure that there are sufficient teachers in all schools by the end of the month, School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu informed the Assembly on Friday.

Replying to a calling attention motion on shortage of teachers in schools in the State, Mr.Thennarasu informed the Assembly that it was after the DMK government came to power that the department took the issue of filling up vacancies on a war-footing. In 2006-07, as many as 16,160 teachers were appointed and in 2007-08, as many as 15,190 teachers appointed.

As per the current schedule of filling up vacancies across categories, 7505 BT Assistant teachers will be appointed by the end of the month. As many as 1030 teacher educators (B & TE) have already been appointed and another 270 were in the process of being appointed. All vacancies of computer teachers (1667) and Agricultural teachers (200) have been filled. The department was in the process of completing the appointment of post-graduate teachers (1455 appointed, 259 to be appointed).

The only problem was in the case of secondary grade teachers (5440). This was now being done based on the interim order of the Supreme Court on State seniority.

Mr.Thennarasu explained that since the government had decided to initially take the employment exchange seniority into consideration (at the rate of 1:1) and since the seniority dated back to the eighties, many had not joined even after receiving the appointment orders. To overcome this, after discussions with the Chief Minister, the ratio has been changed to 1:2 (one person from the employment exchange for every two direct recruits).

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