“Strict action will be taken against Government teachers if their skills are not upgraded and their salaries will be slashed by 50%. The Pune Zilla Parishad has said it has already taken several measures to improve the quality of education imparted in its schools,” Maharashtra Education Minister, Deepak Kesarkar said in a recent interview.
“We have observed some teachers have poor teaching skills. We will be giving them six months of training to improve. If they fail to improve, we will give them further training but slash their salaries by 50 per cent,” he said.
Kesarkar said his department has already taken a slew of steps to impart quality teaching and improve the overall environment in the Zilla parishad schools. “If a teacher is found consuming tobacco or drunk, strict action will be initiated,” he said
In addition, the Pune Zilla Parishad administration said that it has “successfully” executed a strategy with the aim of “revolutionising” the education system.
ZP striving to improve educational facilities:
When asked about the quality of teachers and their teaching abilities, Pune Zilla Parishad CEO Ayush Prasad said, “Through a comprehensive approach focusing on planning, training, upgrading, supporting, monitoring, and improving, the Pune Zilla Parishad has made significant strides in enhancing educational facilities and outcomes for students in the region.”
Prasad said to ensure academic time is utilised optimally; the Pune Zilla Parishad has implemented a ban on activities that distract from core educational objectives. “Events, awareness drives and other non-academic pursuits have been eliminated to maintain a sharp focus on education. Additionally, teachers now focus on students’ performance rather than recommendations from political leaders, fostering a merit-based approach to education,” he said.
Moreover, Shobha Khandare, principal of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), which has been specially set up for academic merit improvement, said, “We don’t have teachers who can’t teach at all. We have Continuous Professional Development programmes that help upgrade teaching skills.”
