Mumbai: In a significant development, the state government of Maharashtra has finally granted approval to fill 763 long-vacant teaching positions in 196 government-aided schools. This announcement comes after a more than six-year delay since the teacher recruitment process was initially announced in 2017. The State's school education department has taken a crucial step forward by releasing a list of over 5,000 eligible candidates, and school managements have been directed to conduct interviews for these positions.
The 763 teaching vacancies will be recruited through the Pavitra Portal, a centralised system designated for teacher appointments. A circular has already been issued by the department, clarifying the process and guidelines. The teachers to be appointed will cater to students from classes 6 to 12, and the circular instructs schools to conduct interviews between July 18 and August 19. The school managements will be able to finalise the appointments only after uploading the interview status on the Pavitra Portal.
An official from the school education department explained that various issues, including legal complexities, had hindered the appointment process, leading to the prolonged delay. However, with the issuance of a new circular, the appointment process has now been set in motion.
The department has also released a list of 5,535 eligible candidates who have successfully cleared the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) and Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT). These candidates have been recommended for appointment to vacant posts across different schools.
Commissioner of Education, Suraj Mandhare, shared some insights into the candidate allocation process, stating that candidates have been made available to school managements in the ratio of 1:10 per seat in accordance with parallel reservation policies and subject to the availability of candidates suitable for the interview and teaching roles. During the interview process, candidates will be evaluated on their teaching skills, and the total marks allotted for the interview and teaching skills assessment will be 30. The final selection of candidates will be based on their performance in these assessments, in addition to considerations such as subject expertise and reservation requirements for the posts.
School principals' association representative, Pandurang Kengar, expressed his satisfaction with the long-awaited approval, emphasising that aided schools had eagerly anticipated this step since the teacher positions were initially finalised in 2017.
Meanwhile, in an additional move aimed at strengthening the state's education system, the government has unveiled plans to recruit an impressive 30,000 teachers during the first phase of the upcoming academic year. The recruitment process for this phase is expected to commence soon, following the completion of the "Sanch Manyata" (approval process) for 54,193 Zilla Parishad schools and 14,000 private schools.
The recent announcements regarding teacher recruitment signal the state government's commitment to address the long-standing issue of teacher shortages in Maharashtra's schools. Educators and stakeholders are hopeful that these measures will lead to an improved learning environment and better opportunities for students across the state. As the interviews get underway, candidates and school managements alike are eagerly awaiting the finalisation of appointments and the realisation of a more robust education system in Maharashtra.
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