Testing times: Wary of losing jobs, teachers out to ensure enrolment

CHENNAI: With the academic year 2023-24 set to begin in June, the teachers of both government and private schools have intensified their campaign to create awareness among parents to ensure enrolment. Teachers along with students are holding drives in their locality and highlighting the vital schemes introduced by the government.

Likewise, teachers of private schools have been reaching out to pursue students in their respective schools.

Kickstarted by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the enrolment drive for admissions for the government and government-aided schools was held between April 17 and 28. Along with teachers, volunteers of Illam Thedi Kalvi (ITK) also took part in the drive by hiring a vehicle to cover at least 50 schools in their limit.

Meanwhile, both government school and private school teachers told DT Next that there is a certain pressure to get students in their schools to retain their job and posting.

A government-aided teacher in Chengalpattu said, “We conducted a drive by creating enough awareness among parents and highlighting the important schemes by the government. Though we do not have a set target to enrol students, there is certainly a pressure to bring in students to retain the posting in a particular school.”

“If there are fewer students and more teachers in a government or government-aided school, there are chances of merging the school, transferring the teachers and gradually shutting down the school in a few years. Hence, we have to be proactive,” the teacher added.

Subsequently, a private teacher in Chennai agreed that though there is no target, they are expected to bring in a few students to retain their job. “The management somehow expects teachers to bring in students. The management tends to politely mention this over meetings too,” the teacher said.

However, KR Nandakumar, state secretary of Tamil Nadu Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE school association said that private teachers do not have to work for admissions as parents anyway want their children to study in private institutions over public.

Chennai: With general counselling for the transfer of government school teachers scheduled from May 8 till 31, the education department has confirmed that teachers with 40 per cent or more disability shall be allowed to remain at the same school. “If the teacher to be deployed is differently abled having 40 per cent or more disability, the said teacher shall be allowed to continue in the same station. Thereby, the immediate next junior teacher in the cadre/specific subject will be deployed,” a circular from the School Education Department (SED) said. The members of Primary Teachers’ Federation urged the department to fill Bachelor of Training assistants’ vacancies by promoting secondary grade teachers (SGTs).