Status of Para-teachers in India

1. Status of Para-teachers in India All India Primary Teachers’ Federation

2. Status of Para-teachers in India • Para-teachers are not being appointed in India alone. • They are being appointed in other developing countries too particularly in Africa, Latin America, China: • Appointment of para-teachers is being made at the instance of World Bank for cost effectiveness and efficiency in education.

3. Percentage of Para-teachersin India In India, number of para-teachers is growing steadily; About 0.7 million para-teachers; In Uttar Pradesh alone 1.70 lakh para-teachers; They constituted 10.48% of the total teaching workforce in 2007-2008. Presently they may be around 15%; Predominantly employed in rural areas (93%); About 54% professionally untrained. In a number of states, professional qualification is not necessary for being a teacher. (AP, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, UP, Uttarakhand, WB)

4. Quality of Instruction More than 7.7% of schools are being manned by para-teachers alone; Some States have stopped recruitment of regular teachers; (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, W.B., Haryana) Infrastructure facilities woefully poor; Government run primary schools have become temples of learning of the poorest of the poor.

5. Rate of absenteeism among para-teachers higher than regular teachers in Peru (World Bank study); Efficiency of para-teachers starts declining after a period; Depression sets in Induction training inadequate Generates leaders Back door entry of para-teachers Favoritism and corruption in appointment of para-teachers

6. Canon of Social Justice • Para-teachers being exploited because they are paid remuneration (1/4 or 1/5 ) than regular teachers; • No gratuity, No. pension • Only few states regularize their services (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and H.P.) • Minimum wage (hardly sufficient to maintain family of four members; and • This is happening in a welfare state.

7. AIPTF Policy • Quality teacher for quality education - Teaching is a profession. Only professionals can improve quality of education. Talented individuals need to be attracted to the profession. They need to imparted rigorous training to render them professional. • Stoppage of recruitment of Para-teachers. • Bringing Para-teachers to the mainstream by providing them necessary professional training.