Over one lakh teachers of Government-run and public schools are expected to benefit from the Delhi Government’s decision to increase retirement age from 62 to 65 years. It is fulfillment of a long-pending demand by the city’s teachers.
A proposal is likely to be brought before the Cabinet in first week of July for formal approval. On Tuesday, a delegation of over 500 teachers from different schools - led by Nangloi MlA Bijender Singh - had met Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to raise the age limit.
Retirement age for teachers was revised from 60 to 62 years on September 4, 2006, in the National Capital to meet acute shortage. There are 900 Government schools, 220 aided schools and 1,500 public schools in Delhi.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the directorate of education is bringing a Cabinet proposal for increasing superannuation age, subject to fitness and vigilance clearance.
“This would be uniformly applicable to all categories of teachers up to postgraduate level, headmasters, vice-principals and principals in Government-run, aided and unaided, private schools. The decision would help the directorate meet the acute shortage. Benefit of reemployment up to 65 years will also be available to those already working on re-employment under the existing scheme,” said a source.
The pleasant surprise for teachers comes in election year, though the planning and finance department has some reservations. “In simple words, the proposal will benefit one lakh teachers but it will have larger impact, which means five lakh people will be benefitted,” said a source.
Directorate officials said the Delhi State Subordinate Selection Board (DSSSB) had failed to take any initiative despite repeated reminders. “There is vacancy for 10,000 to 12, 000 teaching staff and an equal number of non-teaching staff in schools. The education department needs at least 995 assistant teachers, 9,246 trained graduate teachers, 3,772 postgraduate teachers and 259 principals,” said the official.
He added that despite the sanction from Delhi Cabinet, the directorate has failed to properly implement RTE in Government schools.
The CAG had earlier pointed out at large-scale shortage of manpower and classrooms and delays in construction of school buildings. “While the number of students in Government schools increased from 11.87 lakh to 13.82 lakh, since 2007-08, there has been no revision of the sanctioned strength
of staff,” the CAG had stated in a report in 2011.