Thousands of External Teachers Yet to Receive Payment for Remedial Classes in Rajasthan

Jaipur- The education sector in Rajasthan finds itself embroiled in a pressing issue as external teachers appointed for remedial classes across various districts await their due honorarium.

Despite their crucial role in bridging learning gaps for students, these educators have yet to receive their payments, sparking concerns and demands for urgent action.

Their honorarium has been pending since November, prompting a demand from the state government for a high-level inquiry into the allocation of varying amounts of funds in numerous schools, including those designated for the distribution of art kits.

It is worth noting that the Rajasthan School Education Council, Jaipur, issued guidelines on July 28, 2023, regarding the appointment of these external teachers for remedial classes. The administrative approval for the pending payment of their honorarium came on February 20, 2024.

The delay in administrative decisions and approvals was attributed to the assembly elections in November 2023 and the transition from a Congress-led government to a BJP administration.

For subjects such as English, Mathematics, and Science for classes 9 and 10 across 33 districts of the state, a total of 839,808 external persons were appointed.

The honorarium is calculated at Rs. 200 per hour. This amounts to sixteen crore eighty-nine lakh sixty-one thousand six hundred rupees for 60 hours of remedial teaching.

Similarly, for classes 11 and 12, a total of 823,126 external persons were engaged for the three subjects. This translates to twenty-four crore sixty-nine lakh thirty-seven thousand eight hundred rupees for 60 hours of remedial teaching, at the rate of Rs. 300 per hour.

Consequently, the total amount to be paid sums up to forty-one crore forty-eight lakh ninety-nine thousand four hundred rupees. The payment was scheduled to be made by March 31, 2024.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, Naveen Kumar Sharma, the State General Secretary of the Rajasthan Teachers Association (Siyaram) highlighted the essence of the learning promotion program, which entailed the appointment of external teachers to provide remedial education to students in classes 9 to 12.

These teachers were tasked with bridging the gap in learning caused by the absence of subject teachers in schools.

However, despite their invaluable contributions, their honorarium has remained outstanding since a month.

Rajasthan Teachers Association's State President, Virendra Sharma, has strongly urged for the immediate payment of outstanding honorarium to the teachers.

Stressing the urgency of the matter, Sharma emphasized the need to promptly provide relief to these external teachers by ensuring their honorarium is paid without further delay.

" Following the issuance of sanction orders, the Department has inadvertently neglected to allocate the necessary funds, leaving external teachers unpaid for their crucial remedial education services" , Sharma told The Mooknayak.

Expressing concern, the organization highlighted disparities in fund allocation across districts and emphasized the urgency of releasing funds promptly.

Sharma further asserted that if the funds remain withheld even after the end of the financial year, it may necessitate the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to launch an investigation into the matter.