Pradhan criticises Odisha Govt's 'Teacher on Call' policy

Coming down heavily on Odisha government's 'Teachers on Call' policy, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan today expressed concern over the appointment of teachers on a contractual basis in the state.
In his message in social media on the ocassion of Teachers' Day, Pradhan expressed concern over the appointment of 1,07,752 newly aided teachers, gana sikshaks and siksha sahayaks in primary schools in Odisha on contract basis.
"It is the responsibility of the government of a welfare state to relieve the teachers of their existing financial problems so that they can take proper care of the students," he said.

Stating that 13,977 posts of high school teachers have fallen vacant in the state since long, Pradhan said Odisha government instead of appointing thousands of unemployed B.Ed and certified teachers as regular teachers for these vacant posts preferred to fill them through its 'teacher on call' policy.
Hitting out at the state government and the ruling party for criticising him for saying the government has been using contractual teachers as "Uber and OLA vehicles", Pradhan said "I stick to my earlier statement and urge the state government to appoint regular teachers in schools and regularise those who have been given contractual appointment."

Odisha's School and Mass Education minister Debi Prasad Mishra responded to Pradhan's remark saying, "The Union Minister should refrain from debating on the issue," and said the state government engaged the teachers 'on call' basis on the suggestions of the HRD ministry.

Pradhan alsp said the government must refrain from the "unethical practice" of paltry salary to contractual teachers and terminating their services as per its "whims".
On the "sorry state of affairs" of elementary education in the state, Pradhan said there is no high school in 38 gram panchayats in Odisha while 376 schools do not have their own buildings.

"Of the total 53,252 schools in the state, 42,070 schools do not have a playground which is about 80 percent of the schools."
He said schools do not even have required class rooms and students of different classes are taught in one room.
"Unfortunately, there is provision for class rooms in 41,670 schools which is about 80 per cent of the total schools in the state." Pradhan said.
Mishra said the state government has taken steps to fill up the posts of teachers.