School Education and Sports Department | GR | Finalising revised norms in respect of opening of New Schools, Addition, Division, Changes in School and New Staffing Pattern | 28 August 2015

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https://www.maharashtra.gov.in/Site/Upload/Government%20Resolutions/English/201508281536174421.pdf

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Appoint teachers depending on number of students: GR

The state school education department has recently come out with revised norms for opening new schools, adding divisions and staffing pattern for Classes 1 to 10 in government and government aided schools. The new norms have restricted the number of teachers that can be appointed by schools, adding to the woes of school principals and teachers.

As per the government resolution (GR) issued on August 28, schools will now have to appoint teachers depending on the number of students. Currently, appointments were made on the basis of the number of divisions.

In Classes 9 and 10, existing schools will be able to hire three teachers if the number of students in both the classes combined is more than 40. The three teachers would include a language teacher, maths and science and one for social studies. Whereas, two teachers will be appointed for 40 students in Class 9 in new schools, read the GR.

Classes 1 to 5-will get two teachers for 60 students, with an additional teacher for an increase of every 30 students, stated the GR. The initial two teachers will teachmaths and science and languages. Similarly, three teachers will be given in Classes 6 to 8 if their combined strength is more than 36.

The norms have been designed to check schools from hiring too many teachers. “Schools had wrongly interpreted the previous norms to hire more teachers,” said Nand Kumar, principal secretary of the department. “They were keeping just 25 students per division and hiring teachers for every division. This was a waste of government resources.”

But teachers complained that these norms will make it difficult for small schools to teach languages. “The norms provide hiring of only one language teacher, who will have to teach English, Hindi and Marathi for a certain number of students,” said Anil Bornare, teacher from Swami Muktananda School, Chembur. The revised norms have also stated that head mistress/master can only be appointed if number of students in existing schools crosses 135. In schools having less than the prescribed number, senior teachers will have to take on the additional charge of the headmistress.

Source | Hindustan Times | 31 August 2015