NEW DELHI: Following the protest by 22,000 guest teachers, the Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved a policy for them. The guest teachers will now continue to work in government schools and retire on attaining 60 years of age. Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister, Manish Sisodia announced that the policy will be applicable on working guest teachers, who have been recruited in different years. Immediately after making the announcement, Sisodia said he was going to LG to seek his approval. "Being the head of the Services, LG is not only responsible for transfers and postings but also that the Education department functions smoothly," he said.
He said that out of the 64,000 posts of teachers in Delhi government schools, 58,000 are functional and comprise both regular and guest teachers. "So, 22,000 of these 58,000 were guest teachers, recruited on the basis of merit from time to time through vacancy notifications during our time and before. Before us, there was a rule that these guest teachers were appointed every year. We stopped this practice. We continued the teachers to avoid the hassle they had to face every year. His government protected the guest teachers till they could, but were told that since the Services was with the Central government and teachers and their recruitment also came under it," said Sisodia.
With the Cabinet passing the policy, he said that it will apply for all guest teachers, recruited on the basis of merit, he said, adding that since regular teachers can work till the age of 60, this rule will also apply to guest teachers. "Their conduct rules will also be same as that of regular teachers. This is not a policy we are implementing out of blue, the same had been implemented in Haryana by the BJP in power there. If they can do it in Haryana, what is the issue in Delhi? LG, the head of Services, can do this in minutes," he said. He also accused the BJP of spoiling the entire system of Delhi through the Services. "I would request the people to remove it from the power this time."
The Minister on Tuesday wrote a letter to the LG explaining the whole situation and after the meeting education minister Sisodia issue another letter to the LG on Wednesday. In the letter, he explained that the guest teachers have been serving the government schools just like the regular teachers and fear of losing
a job which these guest teachers carry within is something should go hence this new policy.