15,000 contractual teachers imparting education in Himachal schools: Minister

As many as 15,791 contractual teachers are imparting education in government schools of Himachal Pradesh, education minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed the state assembly on Saturday.

Bhardwaj said 11,035 teachers are working on government and Parent Teachers Association-Grant in Aid (PTA-GIA) contract, whereas the rest 4,756 teachers under Primary Assistant Teachers (PAT) and Parent Teachers Association (PTA) policies.

He said the teachers may be appointed and dealt under these separate policies but nothing is mentioned in these policies about regularising their services.

He said the government wants to regularise these teachers and that is why Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced while presenting the Budget on February 9 that PTA and PAT teachers will be provided salary at par with regular teachers.

The matter of regularisation of PAT and PTA-GIA teachers is sub judice and three writs related to it are pending in the apex court.

The education minister further informed the state assembly that 123 posts of principals are lying vacant in government senior secondary schools in the state.