ReT scheme frozen to facilitate regularisation of teachers in J-K

The Jammu and Kashmir administration will formally stop the Rehabar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme with a provision that the teachers already engaged under it would continue to be governed by the scheme till their regularization or otherwise.

The decision taken at the State Administrative Council (SAC) meeting would help the school education department to consolidate the position and rationalize the staff strength in various schools, an official spokesman said on Thursday.

He said that the decision would also help in moving towards a single cadre of teachers rather than multiple types of staff performing the same work.

During the 19th SAC meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik here on Wednesday, the ReT scheme was revied viz-a-viz its efficacy in the changed education scenario.

The proposal to freeze the ReT scheme is being finalized and would be put up to the SAC next week, the spokesperson said.

The Rehabar-e-Taleem (ReT) scheme was launched in the 2000 for meeting requirements of teachers in primary and middle schools in inaccessible and far-flung areas where teachers posted from other places were ordinarily reluctant to join.

It envisaged engagement of teachers from local area and had to be paid remuneration of Rs 1500 per month initially, later revised to Rs 3,000, and had to be regularised after five years of continuous service.

Recruitments made under the scheme helped the department to meet the shortage of teachers.

In the meantime, the centrally sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was implemented which has a provision for opening new primary schools as well as upgradation of primary schools to upper primary level to increase every child's access to education, the spokesperson said.

As the scheme had a provision for engaging teachers on contractual and consolidated basis from the funds provided by the Centre, the state stopped engagement of teachers under the ReT scheme.

More than 41,000 teachers have been appointed as ReT and SSA teachers so far, the spokesperson said.

After critical analysis of the teaching staff in the school education department across the state under regular recruitment, SSA and RMSA, it has been observed that pupil teacher ratio (PTR) is in excess than the prescribed national norm, he said.

The spokesperson said the SAC has also okayed the school education department's proposal for utilising the services of teaching staff hired on academic arrangement for two months of winter vacations in the winter zone from November 16 to January 15 or till regular selections are made.

He said their services will be utilized to provide winter tuition to students so that they perform better academically.