Editor,
The CBSE AISE 10 and CBSE AISSE 12 results of the 2022-’24 session dismayed everyone. The pass percentage of Class 10 was just 39.71, and of Class 12 just 61.17, putting the state to shame.
The government is directly answerable for such poor performance in the CBSE examination since this happened despite 2021 having been adopted as the ‘Year of Education’ by the government.
The government took the responsibility and recruited 750 guest teachers across the districts through the DDSEs, under the MMSK for the 2023-’24 session.
The salary was fixed at Rs 25,000 per month, without any additional allowance.
Furthermore, we did not receive the salary on a monthly basis.
Despite such harsh treatment, most of us, the guest faculty, shoulder the responsibility of making the education scenario better by sacrificing our valuable time staying in far-flung villages where there are no roads, telecom networks, or electricity, compromising our better career opportunities.
Fast forward to the 2022-’23 academic year, which saw an impressive improvement in the pass percentage as the Class 10 pass percentage rose to 49.75 from 39.71 and the Class 12 pass percentage rose to 73.14 from 61.17.
It is the result of the untiring duties and sincerity displayed by our young, well-qualified guest teachers with great pedagogical skills. Many of us had experience in teaching for 2-3 years at private schools before joining as guest teachers.
Hence, we guest teachers at the least deserve recognition from the state government and all stakeholders.
The recognition can be done by simply increasing our salary to Rs 35,000 per month, devising a mechanism to ensure that we are paid on a monthly basis, or on a two-month basis, and converting us to ISSE SSA teachers in the long run after proper verification of our conduct and requisite qualifications.
Of all the points I mention, the payment on a monthly basis and increment of salary is of the utmost importance. Any ordinary person can also feel the pain that we guest teachers have to undergo without a salary in the 2022-’23 academic session.
Proper payment of salary is equally connected to how a teacher would perform their duty.
The state government and the think tank must adopt a practical and genuine policy with regard to us MMSK teachers in this first annual budget.
Jeta Riba,
Guest teacher