Teachers' pay-grade linked with school's performance

The Maharashtra education department has come out with a new rule which links teachers' pay grades with the school's performance.

A government resolution (GR), issued on Tuesday, said teachers of government-run or government-aided schools will get higher pay-grade if their schools secure 'A' grade under the 'Shaala Siddhi' quality assessment and improvement programme.

A teacher will qualify for higher pay-grade only if the school where he/she is employed gets 'A grade under the Shaala Siddhi programme.

Also, for high-school teachers, average result of Class IX and X should be above 80 per cent.

Commenting on the new rules, former chairman of the State Education Board Vasant Kalpande said, "Performance under the Shaala Siddhi program is a collective effort, and pay-grade concerns an individual, so I am not sure if this GR will be effective in achieving its objective.