The priority given by the education department to the teachers with English medium background for deployment in the Model school has opened a schism among the teaching fraternity of the State. On the insistence of Chief Minister Harish Rawat, the education department has opened five model schools in every block of the State. The department is in the process of appointing teachers in these schools. One of the aims of these schools is to give a competition to the private schools so the top officials of the department are scouting for teachers who have command over English for appointment in these schools.
The decision, however, has clearly divided the teachers as those with English medium background are finding it an opportunity to get transferred in a good school while those who had studied in Hindi medium school are terming the decision of the department as a partial one.
It is learnt that most of these schools are located in accessible areas or where the connectivity with road is good as a result of which teachers with an English medium background and posted in remote and inaccessible schools are finding a scope to get stationed in these schools. “It is good that the department is planning to give priority to teachers well versed in English language while appointing teachers in model schools. It’s a good step in the direction of setting the schools with a difference,’’ said one a teacher posted in Chakrata block of Dehradun district.
It is known fact that more than 90 per cent Government teachers are from Hindi medium background and they are opposing any such move. “The department should check the teaching qualities of teachers for appointments in model schools. A teacher with good knowledge of English language does not guarantees that he/ she would be a good teacher,’’ said a teacher posted in Yamkeshwar block of Pauri district.
The district President of Prathamik Shikshak Sangh (PSS), Virendra Singh Krishali blamed the department of adopting double standards on the issue. He said that on one hand the department is talking about strengthening Government schools and on other hand it is neglecting the teachers who had studied in the Government schools.
The department has earmarked three schools under elementary education (Primary and Upper Primary schools) and two schools under secondary education in each block for model schools. Apart from deployment of at least five teachers in these schools the department intends to start smart class room concept and various novel initiatives in these schools. The public response for these schools is good as student enrollment in them has shown a marked increase.