Pune: After facing significant criticism from educators and unemployed teaching candidates, the Maharashtra School Education Department has revised its earlier decision regarding the appointment of teachers in schools with low student enrollment. 

The department had initially proposed appointing retired teachers and unemployed D.Ed./B.Ed. qualified candidates on a contractual basis in schools with 20 or fewer students. 

However, the policy has now been amended to focus solely on unemployed D.Ed. and B.Ed. qualified candidates for schools with 10 or fewer students.

The School Education Department had issued a resolution on September 5, stating that in schools with fewer than 20 students, one of the two sanctioned teachers could be a retired teacher or an unemployed candidate with the necessary qualifications. 

These teachers would be appointed on a contractual basis with a fixed monthly salary of ₹15,000. However, the decision was met with widespread disapproval from teaching candidates waiting for recruitment, who argued that the move would deprive them of much-needed employment opportunities.

In response to the outcry, the department has now scrapped the September 5 resolution and released a revised policy.

Under the new guidelines, in schools with 10 or fewer students, one of the two teachers will be an unemployed D.Ed./B.Ed. qualified candidate appointed on a contractual basis. Retired teachers will no longer be considered for these positions.

The initial appointment term will be for one year, with the possibility of extension based on the candidate's performance and the school’s requirements. The salary will remain ₹15,000 per month, with no additional benefits such as pensions or other allowances. 

The department has also clarified that these contractual teachers will be subject to the same teaching hours as regular staff but will not be entitled to the same benefits or job security.

The new policy outlines that contractual teachers will receive a total of 12 leaves annually, and they will need to sign an agreement with the district’s Primary Education Officer. 

The recruitment process will be overseen by the Primary Education Officer in coordination with the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, who will be responsible for inviting applications and issuing appointment letters.