Global Manag_Educ 168 pg.GB
EDUCATION
3/01/13
19:00
Page 98
INTERNATIONAL
trend is towards appointing unqualified teachers with limited induction training (ranging between seven to 60 days in duration), who are expected to have adequate subject knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach in small remote single or two-teacher multi-grade schools with limited resources. It is estimated that more than 500,000 contract teachers are currently employed across India, accounting for 9.4 per cent of primary school teachers in 2009 (NUEPA, 2011).
The Right to Education Act and contract teachers Much of the debate around contract teachers in India is framed in relation to the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, in which India renewed its commitment to guaranteeing universal, free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six. The RTE Act represents a long-awaited response to the serious shortages of teachers and resources in government schools (Mehrotra, 2012). It has mandated that all states must notify and fill teacher shortages within one year of commencement (pupil-teacher ratios have been set at a 1:30 maximum under the act). Moreover, the Act has specified that all teachers must acquire minimum qualifications within a period of five years. What this means in practice and how it is achieved, however, is left to state governments. Moreover, the RTE Act does not address the issue of teacher preparation and development beyond designating the NCTE as the responsible actor. Effectively, the RTE Act does not take into account the large numbers of unqualified or under-qualified contract teachers already within the system. In states where the minimum qualification for contract teachers is a secondary level degree, there is a necessity to ensure that contract teachers acquire the necessary qualifications and professional training within five years. A professor at the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) commented: RTE has really put pressure on the state governments to look at the teacher issue in a significant manner, in terms of [how] anybody can be appointed and made a teacher. This cannot happen anymore... But we are to see many problems that will come up when we roll out RTE, particularly related to teachers. The upgrading of existing teachers is a huge issue; there are no teacher-training institutions in many places (Interview no. 32, NUEPA, 2010).
In the context of India’s renewed commitment to basic education with the RTE Act, the debates set out below are particularly pertinent if state governments are intent on improving educational access and quality. More teachers will need to be appointed to meet the provisions of the Act, but addressing the needs of contract teachers within the system is equally crucial in the context of teacher shortages. Without addressing the systematic lack of resources, there are reasons to worry that the actual implementation of teachers’ upgrading will lead to sub-standard teacher education.
THE CONTRACT TEACHER DEBATE IN INDIA
98
The appointment of contract teachers versus regular teachers with tenure is a contentious policy issue that continues to evoke debate between its opponents and proponents, including policy makers, teacher unions, academics, the general public and other education