Appointment of retired teachers only a stopgap arrangement: Puducherry Education Minister

Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam clarifies that retired teachers' recruitment is a stopgap until Education Dept. completes direct recruitment process. Vacancies are large, so process will take 3-4 months. Retired teachers are appointed on contract basis, and will be terminated after interim arrangement. Education Dept. will soon move file for recruitment of 340 trained graduate teachers and 67 lecturers. Minister says shortage of teaching staff won't be a handicap for better results. Breaking services of over-aged graduates after 3-4 months would create hurdles. Easier to manage appointment/termination of retired teachers.

Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam has clarified that the decision to recruit retired teachers for filling up existing vacancies in government schools was only a stopgap arrangement till the Education Department completed the process for direct recruitment of teachers.

Mr Namassivayam, who also holds the Education portfolio, told The Hindu that the criticism against appointment of retired teachers was without knowing the facts.

“The Finance Department has recently given us sanction to fill various teaching posts, including trained graduate teachers. The vacancy numbers are large and so the process will take three to four months. We are moving into the fag end of the academic session and the syllabus must be completed by February. With a large number of vacancies, some of the existing teachers are overburdened so much so that they have to travel from one school to the other daily to complete the syllabus,” he said.

The retired teachers have been appointed on contract basis and their service would be terminated after the interim arrangement. The Education Department would be soon moving the file for recruitment of around 340 trained graduate teachers, (for Class 6 to 10) and 67 lecturers for issuing notification , he said.

“We will be filling all the vacancies in government schools in a time-bound manner. Shortage of teaching staff will not be a handicap for better results. The only issue is the time taken for the recruitment process as it has to be done in a transparent manner by following Recruitment Rules and adhering to reservation policy. Probably by the end of this academic year, we will have most of the vacancies filled,” the Minister said.

On the criticism over not appointing over-aged graduates registered with Employment Exchange in the place of retired teachers, the Minister said breaking the services of such graduates after three or four months would create hurdles. “Its easy for us to mange the appointment and termination of retired teachers,’‘ Mr. Namassivayam said.