Government will draft its education policy keeping in focus all 2 crore students, Higher Education Minister Vinod Tawde told the Legislative Council on Thursday even as he sought to allay apprehensions over any teacher losing his job due to change in rules or presence of excess staff.
“The policy will be drafted keeping all 2 crore students at centre. We want full transparency in the education system,” Tawde said replying to a debate on education system, initiated by MLCs Kapil Patil (Cong) and Ramnath Motey (BJP).
“Not a single teacher will lose his job due to excess staff or change in rules,” he said.
“We came to know that some teachers have problems with their appointment. It may be due to excess staff or change in rules. But the government is firm that they should not lose their job in any case. We are developing a system for excess teachers, their transfers and absorption,” the minister said.
Tawde said there should be a committee comprising representatives of teachers, management and education officers on district level, to resolve the issue.
“The entire process should be transparent,” he added.
However, unsatisfied with the minister’s reply, the members, Satish Chavhan (NCP), Manikrao Thakre (Cong), Dhananjay Munde (NCP), Kapil Patil and Jayant Patil (PWP) raised some queries, following which chairperson Vasantrao Davkhare ordered the minister to hold a separate meeting with all teacher MLCs in Mumbai and address their issues.
During the discussion, Motey alleged that a scam of Rs. 9,000 crore has taken place in appointing part-time teachers of various schools in the state as permanent teachers.
“One person had collected Rs. 5,000 per teacher and there were 18,000 affected teachers. I have just tabled the fact in this regard,” he said.
However, Motey did not disclose the name of the person though another MLC Chavhan asked him to do so.
Thakre said this is a serious issue for which an inquiry needs to be set up.
In his reply, Tawde said, “Some persons (are alleged) to have taken money from teachers and if anyone found guilty in inquiry, he should be punished.”
