Goa teachers may have to work seven-and-half hours as per RTE

After increasing school timings by 30 minutes for students, Goa government is now mulling on making seven-and-half hours of work compulsory for teachers, as per the Right to Education (RTE) guidelines.
State Education Director Anil Powar told PTI today that the department will be writing to the state government to notify the RTE schedule for teachers, which makes it compulsory for them to be in school for seven and half hours.
The state government since last week increased the school timings by half an hour, summing it to five and half hours a day, as per the RTE guidelines. The decision was, however, met with resentment by parents.

Powar said the working time for teachers - from Standard I to XII will be seven and half hours, during which they can take remedial classes under continuous comprehensive evaluation of the student or have extra curricular activities.
The school learning time will remain to be five and half hours, of which half hour is recess, although the teachers will have to spend two more hours in the school, he explained.
The director said the state government will have to notify the RTE schedule for teacher, before implementing the strict working hours.
Powar said the state government will take further decision on aspects like providing infrastructure for schools, which is required for the complete implementation of RTE.

Goa began implementing RTE two years ago.