Gujarat: 8,000 plus unqualified teachers in private schools

Sleeping easy after enrolling your ward in a private school? The state government has a fact that could jolt you awake — more than 8,000 teachers employed in private non-granted schools across Gujarat are unqualified to do their job. The government disclosed this fact in the state Assembly on Friday.

Congress MLA from Patan, Kirit Patel, had sought information from the Education minister on unqualified teachers serving in non-granted schools, and Bhupendrasinh Chudasama replied that there were 8,680 such teachers currently.

Under a provision in the Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009, the central government made it mandatory for teachers to have certain qualifications notified by National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) to be employed by a private school.

After getting a district-wise break up of unqualified teachers, Patel asked the Education minister why the government had not yet discharged the teachers from duty, and when it would do so.

Chudasama replied that the Education Department had issued a notification to all schools across the state on August 11, 2017 that teachers who did not have the required minimum qualification for the service as per the RTE Act should acquire it by March 31, 2019. If they failed to do so, they would have to face disciplinary measures under the RTE Act.