TN School Education Dept converts over 47,000 temporary posts into permanent ones
In 2024, the department formed a committee to examine the necessity of continuing the temporary posts under the Directorate of School Education that have been receiving continuous extensions for more than 10 years.
School Education Department
CHENNAI: The Department of School Education has converted 47,013 temporary teaching and non-teaching posts into permanent ones, a move that was initiated to avoid obtaining government approval for salaries every year and thus prevent salary delays.
In 2024, the department formed a committee to examine the necessity of continuing the temporary posts under the Directorate of School Education that have been receiving continuous extensions for more than 10 years.
During its assessment, the committee found that there were 52,578 teaching and non-teaching posts which the government has been extending annually for more than 10 years. After studying the actual requirements, the department announced the conversion of 47,013 temporary posts into permanent ones.
In the circular, the department said that 5,418 of these posts would be ‘vanishing posts’. That is, these posts would be scrapped when these employees retire. These are mostly of vocational teachers and non-teaching staff currently working in the department. “These posts will be surrendered when the employee at the position retires,” stated the circular.
The department also released an order to grant an extension for 145 posts up to December 2028.
Speaking to DT Next, a department official said, “This announcement will ensure that there is no salary delay due to mandatory yearly approval from the government. However, it does not mean that there is any new recruitment or post created within the department.”
As per the circular, as many as 28,030 Bachelor of Teaching (BT) Assistant posts have remained temporary for more than 10 years, followed by 5,741 postgraduate assistant posts, and 5,711 lab assistants.
Among the other posts that have been made permanent are higher secondary headmaster (77), Corporation high school headmaster (282), elementary school headmaster (100), secondary grade teacher (410), physical education teacher (599), drawing teacher (49), music teacher (46), superintendent (235), vocational teacher (3,035), sanitary worker (846), and sweeper (98).
