Mumbai: Maharashtra has the lowest share of unqualified teachers at government schools among all the states and union territories of the country, reveals the information presented by the Centre in Lok Sabha.
The information was released by Annapurna Devi, the Minister of State for Education, in response to queries made by nine members of parliament from different states and political parties. It shows that the proportion of government school teachers who don't possess the requisite professional qualifications in the academic year 2021-22 was 0.7%, which is well below the national average of 10.4%. Tripura has the highest 48.5% unqualified teachers, followed by Nagaland (44.7%) and Jharkhand (44.4%).
The actual number of unqualified teachers in the country is around 4.93 lakh, of which only 1,628 are from Maharashtra, despite the state's relatively large population and widespread network of government-run schools. While Assam tops the list with 84,110 ineligible teachers, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand also have a substantial pool of teachers without necessary qualifications.
According to the NCTE (Determination of minimum qualifications for recruitment of teachers in schools) Regulations, 2001, teachers at primary level need a two-year diploma or certificate in teacher training, while those teaching secondary classes must be a graduate with BEd degree. The higher secondary teacher's need a Master's degree along with BEd.
Additionally, the Right to Education (RTE) Act also makes it mandatory for teachers to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) prior to joinng schools. The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had set March 31, 2019, as the deadline to acquiring this qualification for the teachers who had been employed prior to the introduction of TET.
According to Mahendra Ganpule, Spokesperson for the Maharashtra School Principals Association, the state has been taken several stringent measures to ensure its teachers attain the eligibility criteria. "The education department ascertains the qualifications of all the teachers before hiring them. The state has also strictly complied with the TET requirement ever since it was introduced here in 2013. In 2012, the government also put in place the Shalarth system to disburse salaries to teachers. The credentials of teachers are verified before signing them up for the portal," he said.
However, educationists have expressed concerns about the large proportion of unqualified teachers persisting elsewhere in the country. "Despite the creation of NCTE over 40 years ago, the presence of such a high number of unqualified teachers is a matter of concern. At least Maharashtra was conscious of the quality of its teachers. At a time when many qualified teachers are unemployed, there's no justification for continuing with unqualified teachers," said Badrul Islam, Assistant Professor, College of Teacher Education, Aurangabad.
