In a major development in the education sector, the Himachal Pradesh Education Department has announced the initiation of interviews for filling 2600 guest teacher positions in government schools and colleges across the state. This move comes as part of an effort to address staffing shortages in various schools, and colleges, including remote and tribal areas.
The recruitment process, set to be based on interviews, is a departure from conventional methods such as committee-based selections like PTA or SMC teacher recruitment.
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet recently approved the recruitment of 2600 guest teachers on a period basis, emphasizing the need to fill vacancies on time. The positions include 1600 for Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers and 1000 for school and college lecturers. Successful candidates will be appointed for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years.
The compensation structure for these period-based positions is set at Rs 200 and Rs 250 per period for schools and Rs 300 per period for colleges, with a maximum of four periods daily.
Merit will be a key determinant in the selection process, and candidates will have the opportunity to choose their preferred stations after counselling. For JBT teacher recruitment, candidates must have secured 75 percent marks in class 12th and 65 percent marks in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). College cadre teacher recruitment, on the other hand, will consider only candidates who have successfully passed the National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Eligibility Test (SET).
Importantly, the Education Department has assured that regular teachers will not be deployed to educational institutions where guest teachers are appointed. Even in exceptional cases where regular teachers might be sent, guest teachers will not be displaced, allowing them to complete their designated term without interruption.
