Delhi government tells its schools to engage all guest teachers

In a relief to guest teachers, the Delhi government has directed its schools to engage services of all guest teachers who had been hired in the last academic session.

There has been uncertainty over the engagement of the 20,000 odd guest teachers - who are paid per day of work - since schools were closed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The heads of government schools were earlier authorised to call 50 per cent teaching and non-teaching staff from September 21 for smooth running of teaching, learning and assessment activities, for online teaching and tele counselling and other related work,” an official order by the Directorate of Education (DoE) said.

“Hence, in order to ensure smooth functioning of schools, all heads of government schools are hereby directed to engage all such guest teachers (except non-CTET) who were engaged during the last academic session, subject to the availability of vacancy in their schools, within three days positively,” it added.

In July, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said guest teachers would be re-engaged as part of the remote teaching-learning plan. The education department had then issued directions to all heads of schools to “engage willing guest teachers and contract teachers, wherever required, for online teaching-learning activities”.