Guest teachers at residential school

• Principal says trained graduates not available
• Govt teachers can work as guest teachers: DEO

G Ashok Kumar

Tandur (Rangareddy): At a time thousands of fresh graduates are looking forward to get employment as teachers, the Andhra Pradesh Residential Girls School here has been using the services of employed teachers as guest teachers. However, Rajeswari, principal of the school, defending her decision stated that the trained graduates were not available for the posts.

Andhra Pradesh Residential Girls School situated in the outskirts of Tandur town has taken the services of employed teachers as guest teachers in the school. Of the 18 teachers in the school, only one teacher is a permanent employee. Among the rest, two teachers are working in the government school, drawing salaries at both the schools. Several student unions, people’s organisations have taken strong exception to this practice.

ABVP leader Mahesh Reddy said that it was ridiculous to state that there were no trained graduates to be appointed as teachers. “A number of graduates with B.Ed and D.Ed qualifications have been making rounds for getting employment,” he added. It is not proper on the part of the school management to employ government teachers as guest teachers, he said.

Yalal MEO Sudhakar Reddy said that a government school teacher could not work in another government school. Even if they obtained the permission from the DEO, they could not draw salaries at both the schools, he added.

The MEO said that he would take up the issue to the notice of the higher officials after submitting a report to the DEO. School principal Rajeswari said that the trained graduates were not available in Tandur area. The guest teachers are paid only an honorarium of Rs. 7,500, she said. Admitting that the DEO permission was not obtained, she said that the higher officials of Residential schools were informed about the guest teacher appointments. Somi Reddy, DEO, when contacted by phone, said that if the trained graduates were not available for the posts, the services of the government teachers could be utilized and they were eligible for drawing salary at both the places.

However, if the trained graduates are available, the government teachers could not be employed. K Narasinga Rao, B.Ed graduate, deplored the attitude of the higher officials. He said that he had completed B.Ed four years back and succeeded in the Teachers Eligibility Test conducted by the government. “Since I could not secure a job, I have been into farming,” he added. He expressed his readiness to work as vidya volunteer or a guest teacher.