From the 2017-18 academic year, private schools following the State board curriculum may have to display the educational qualifications of their teachers on a public forum. In the backdrop of several private schools recruiting teachers who do not have a mandatory B.Ed. degree, this move will help parents make an informed choice, said department officials.
The draft rules will be put up for public opinion before they are finalised. Ajay Seth, Principal Secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education, said that once the new fee structure is approved, schools will also have to display the teachers’ education certificates on the website so that parents have access to this information. The qualification details may also have to be displayed on the notice board.
Schools admit that there is a problem hiring qualified teachers.
Several private school managements that The Hindu spoke to said they recruit teaching staff even if they do not have a formal teacher training programme. “We have a huge attrition rate and teachers tend to switch jobs as there are a large number of private schools mushrooming in the city. In desperate times, we have to make do with teachers even if they do not have a degree,” said a management member of a private school in the city.
Another private school management member of a Bengaluru school said funds crunch often compels them to recruit teachers who don’t have the necessary qualifications. On an average, State board schools can afford to pay a pre-primary teacher Rs. 8,000 per month, a primary schoolteacher between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 15,000, and a high school teacher around Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month. While schools insist on a degree for primary school teachers, they recruit even those who have completed second pre-university as pre-primary teachers, said the school management member.
The District Information System for Education (DISE) 2014-2015 pointed out that only 30 per cent of all school teachers in the State have a qualification of graduation and above. Besides displaying details of their teaching resources, schools are also expected to display the results of students who sit for the public examination.
