The much-touted unified service rules for teachers may not actually benefit them to the extent that they are expecting to, owing to the changes in the State demography and government’s policies on recruitment.
Though teachers’ unions were happy that the four-decade-long problem has found a solution at last with President Pranab Mukherjee giving his consent, teachers weren’t so as several promotional channels have either been closed or the policies of the government such as regularising the contract staff would affect their chances to a great extent.
Contract lecturers
As per the practice, 40% of junior lecturers’ (JLs) posts were supposed to be reserved for the school assistants with a postgraduate degree. An order was issued in 1993, but was later scrapped and a new GO with some amendments was issued. However, with the government now deciding to regularise the contract lecturers, the school assistants feel they would lose out.
“The unified service rules would help the school assistants but for the government policy of regularising contract lecturers,” says Harshvardhan Reddy, Deputy Secretary General, All India Federation of Teachers’ Organisations (AIFTO). He demanded that the government revoke the amended GO and ensure 40% JL posts so that the new changes benefit the teachers at least after a fight of over 15 years.
Another argument by the teachers was that they would lose out on the Deputy DEO posts scrapped after the State bifurcation. Earlier, each division in every district used to have a Deputy DEO, but now those options do not exist. All that they would be eligible for are the MEO posts in each mandal and for posts in 10 DIET colleges in the State where 30% of posts are reserved for the promotees.
Additional posts
A big hope for the teachers are the vacant 434 MEO posts out of 464 mandals in the State.
With the reorganisation of mandals in Telangana, their number has gone up to 585. However, the government is yet to sanction the additional 121 posts for the newly-created mandals. Teachers would benefit only if the new posts are sanctioned, 40% JLs are earmarked as per the earlier practice and the Deputy DEO posts revoked, the teachers argued.
The euphoria, however, is justified among the teachers as a lasting solution has been found.
Former PRTU president and MLC, Pathuri Sudhakar Reddy, said the years of fight has been fructified and this would pave way for filling up of MEO posts, thus strengthening the government schools. The government teachers form about 6% to 7% and Panchayat Raj teachers constitute more than 90% in the State.
