Over 2K dismissed ad hoc teachers to be re-appointed under new norms

As many as 2,254 ad hoc teachers dismissed from the government-aided secondary schools of Uttar Pradesh will be re-appointed on 11 months’ honorarium akin to Shiksha Mitras now. In line with the decision taken by the UP cabinet on July 2, special secretary Krishna Kumar Gupta on Monday sent detailed instructions to the director (secondary education) regarding the adjustment of these ad hoc teachers.

On being appointed afresh, the name of the post to which they would be appointed would also be changed to ‘honorarium teachers’.

The retirement age of these ad hoc teachers will be 62 years, said officials of the state secondary education department.

These teachers would be paid ₹25,000 per month (till class 10 level) and ₹30,000 per month (for class 12-level). The honorarium of these teachers will be paid as per the instructions issued from time to time by the managers of their institutions, states the missive dated July 8, 2024, a copy of which is with HT.

These teachers will get 12 days of casual leave and 17 days of medical leave in a session (maximum 11 months). Apart from this, no leave will be granted to them.

Honorarium will not be paid to them if work is not done on days other than the ones on which they have been sanctioned leave, the missive explains.

Termination system

As per the terms of appointment, service of such teachers can be terminated if the result of the subject taught by them is less than 50% of the average of three years’ results of UP Board.

Apart from this, their service can also be terminated on grounds of lack of discipline, involvement in criminal activities, withdrawal of consent to work, not following guidelines, concealment of facts or continuous absence for one month. The state government also has the power to end the system of ‘honorarium teachers’ at any time.

A divisional level committee will be formed to determine the school in which such teachers would teach and other such issues regarding the minimum functional requirement and justification of teaching need in government-aided colleges. Divisional joint education director will be the chairman of the committee while the district inspector of schools (DIoS) concerned will be the member secretary. Divisional deputy education director (secondary) and divisional finance and accounts officer will also be members of this panel.

In case of accidental death, no service-related benefits will be payable to the dependent of such deceased teachers and no claim for permanent appointment or regularisation on the basis of honorarium payment will be accepted, officials said.

On the orders of the Supreme Court, the secondary education department of UP terminated the services of these ad hoc teachers on November 9, 2023.

Ad hoc teachers appointed in 1993

In view of the shortage of teachers in government-aided secondary schools of the state, the managements of the schools had recruited ad hoc teachers at their own level in 1993.

From 2000 to 2004 also, many ad hoc teachers were appointed in contravention of the rules. In such a situation, the matter reached the courts. Then on November 9, 2023, the Supreme Court ordered to end adhocism. The Supreme Court also gave instructions not to pay these teachers any salary from the government treasury.

In such a situation, teachers who had given their services in these government-aided secondary schools for the last 20 to 30 years became unemployed and it became difficult for them to make a living. Many times, these teachers held protests too demanding relief from the state government.