As the tender floated to hire five physical training (PT) instructors for the civic-run schools received a poor response, the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) is now contemplating to revise the proposal by increasing the remuneration. Not many job aspirants showed interest because the civic body offered a meagre monthly salary of Rs15,000 and intended to hire the recruits on a contractual basis. Due to lack of guidance and training, the students are deprived from actively participating in various district and state level sports competitions.
Notably, the MBMC took over the reins of the education department from Zilla Parishad in 1994, but the positions of PT teacher and school PT assistant are yet to be incorporated in the staffing pattern. The move to rope in physical trainers is aimed at all-round development of students, said civic chief Sanjay Katkar, adding that the PT instructors will be recruited soon.
The MBMC has also planned to take care of the nutritional needs of budding athletes and talents in various sports. While the sanctioned strength is 223, just 151 teachers are currently working in the civic schools. This is in sharp contrast to the Right to Education Act which mandates around 280 teachers as per the recently revised pupil-teacher ratio.
Currently, 8,845 students are enrolled in 36 municipal schools.
