Port Blair, Jul 01: CPI (M) has expressed serious concern over the likely deterioration of quality of learning in the schools under the Education Department due to the non-availability of regular Heads of Schools and teachers.
In a letter sent to the Lt. Governor, A&N Islands on 30th June 2022, Mr. D. Ayyappan, Secretary, CPI (M), A & N State Organising Committee said that the schools in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are going to be opened after the summer vacation on 1st July 2022. He said that a large number of government schools do not have the required infrastructural facilities like classrooms, playgrounds, etc. It has also been noted that none of the senior secondary schools in the islands has a regular Principal. The work is being managed by Vice Principal or senior-most PGT available in the school. Similarly, most of the Secondary Schools, particularly in the outstations, do not have a Headmaster/Vice Principal, he told the Lt. Governor.
Mr. Ayyappan told the Chief Secretary that nearly one thousand teaching and non-teaching posts are lying vacant in the Education Department. Hundreds of Contract teachers appointed under the SarvaShiksha/SamagraShiksha are managing the schools in the absence of regular teachers.
Mr. Ayyappan complained that these contract teachers are not being paid the minimum salary applicable to the posts they have been appointed, which is a kind of exploitation of educated local youths. No effective step has been taken to recruit teachers against the direct quota and also to promote the existing eligible teachers against the promotion posts.
Mr. Ayyappan further said that while these posts are lying vacant, hundreds of qualified local youths are waiting to get a job in the Education Department as teachers for the last several years.
CPI (M) Secretary urged the Lt. Governor to take effective steps to provide sufficient infrastructural facilities in the schools and to fill up all the vacant posts of teaching and non-teaching posts in the Education Department to improve the quality of education and also to provide jobs to educated youths and promotion to the eligible departmental teachers.