Recruitment commencement still distant dream for aspiring teachers

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The commencement of recruitment is still a distant dream of thousands of aspiring teachers across the state.It may be noted that more than 65,000 posts of Marathi and Urdu medium teachers posts in Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools of Zilla Parishad, Municipal Council and Corporations and other local self Governing bodies are lying vacant. Of them, 50 per cent of seats are vacant in ZP schools alone. There was a ban on the recruitment between 2011 and 2019.

Thousands of aspiring teachers have been waiting eagerly for the commencement of the recruitment process for the past several years. Following demands of the teachers' unions, the State Government decided to fill 30,000 posts.

Those who qualified Maharashtra Teachers Eligibility Test (Maha TET) were allowed to appear for the Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT) in February and March. The guidelines for filling recruitment application form were also issued. The recruitment will be done through the ‘Pavitra portal.’

Significantly, nearly 10 circulars were issued by the School Education Department, director of School Education, and commissioner of School Education so far about the recruitment.

The candidates who passed TAIT were hoping to get the appointment before June month. But, it did not happen. The link for the registration was not opened on the Pavitra Portal for the TAIT-qualified candidates.

Commenting on this, the founder of Akhil Bhartiya Urdu Shikshak Sangh Sajid Ahmed said that hundreds of candidates crossed the upper age limit.

He said that the State Government did not start the recruitment of teachers even after lifting the restrictions in 2019.

“Earlier, TAIT was held in December 2019. Nearly 2 lakh students appeared for the test while just 4,000 to 5,000 candidates were given an appointment. This year, 3 lakh candidates took the TAIT in February-March 2023. The agitation was done time again for this purpose. Also, 6,301 posts of Urdu medium teachers are vacant. Because of delay, the qualified candidates have to do trivial work for survival,” he added.