MAPUSA
The State government has said that it has no plans to regularise teachers working on a contract basis under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
However, the government is actively considering a proposal to extend Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) benefits to these teachers.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also serves as the Education Minister, made this disclosure in a written response to the Goa Legislative Assembly.
He stated that a total of 520 instructors have been employed under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, working from 10 am to 4 pm.
Addressing concerns regarding the challenges faced by contractual teachers, Sawant assured that their grievances are being examined and resolved amicably. However, he did not indicate any move towards granting them permanent employment status.
Samagra Shiksha is an integrated school education scheme launched by the Central Government in 2018.
The scheme was introduced by merging three key educational programs – Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) – Focused on elementary education, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) – Targeted at secondary education and Teacher Education (TE) – Aimed at improving teacher training and capacity building.
The primary objective of the scheme is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all children from pre-primary to Class 12.
According to Sawant, there are currently 197 instructors under the Samagra Shiksha scheme who receive a monthly salary of Rs 25,000, while 323 instructors are paid Rs 20,000 per month.
The contractual instructors are entitled to eight casual leaves annually, along with six months of paid maternity leave for female instructors.
Although the government has not committed to regularising these teachers, it is reviewing the possibility of providing EPF benefits to ensure some level of financial security for them.
The issue of contractual employment in the education sector has been a longstanding concern, with teachers advocating for better job security and improved benefits.
While the government’s stance on regularisation remains firm, the potential extension of provident fund benefits could provide some relief to affected instructors.
