The School Education Department of Andhra Pradesh has embarked upon ‘work adjustment’ of teachers to maintain the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) as per the Right to Education Act, 2009. However, the decision has not gone down well with the teachers’ associations which have been opposing the G.O. 117 pertaining to reapportionment of teaching staff in government schools.
School Education Director V. Vijay Rama Raju has instructed the Regional Joint Directors (RJDs) and District Education Officers (DEOs) to undertake the ‘work adjustment’ exercise to ensure optimal utilisation of manpower and effective academic support for students.
He said surplus teachers should be adjusted to the schools that need teaching staff in adherence to the stipulated guidelines.
In the 2024-25 academic year, enrolment in some schools across managements (government schools, Mandal Praja Parishad and Zilla Praja Parishad schools) has either increased or declined due to various reasons, said Mr. Rama Raju, adding that the entire process of work adjustment of teachers should be completed by August 11, 2024.
Giving clear instructions about the adjustment criteria and preference in adjustment, Mr. Rama Raju wanted the RJDs and DEOs to strictly follow the guidelines to identify the surplus teachers. The junior-most teacher in a school should be identified as surplus, he said, adding that first preference should be given to the schools with no subject teacher or secondary grade teacher.
Enrolment at schools
He said the work adjustment process should be conducted based on the enrolment data gathered from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) on August 7, 2024 and availability of subject teachers in all high schools should be ensured.
Mr. Rama Raju said deputation of surplus teachers from upland or agency areas to plain areas should be avoided and that teachers retiring on or before April 30, 2025 and those with 100% visual impairment would be excluded from the work adjustment process. High school plus institutions are also exempted, he added.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF) have opposed the move of rationalisation of teaching staff without taking up teachers’ promotions first.
Federation’s State president Chennupati Manjula and general secretary K. Bhanu Murthy said it was not right on the part of the government to go ahead with the decision without discussing it with the teacher unions.
“There is a shortage of subject teachers in schools as teachers were not given promotion in the last one year. We have been insisting that the department should give promotions to teachers first and then take up the work adjustment process, but our pleas have gone unheeded,” said Ms. Manjula.
The federation leaders demanded that the government revoke the G.O. 117 before going ahead with the rationalisation process.
