Education Minister Rohit Thakur clarified that the appointment of guest teachers in Himachal Pradesh is a temporary arrangement to ensure uninterrupted studies in schools and colleges. Speaking at the State Secretariat, Thakur emphasized that filling vacant teaching posts through direct recruitment remains the Congress government’s top priority.
The Education Minister criticized the previous government’s policies, stating that they left the education system in poor condition. To address staffing shortages, the government will prepare a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for guest teacher recruitment. A panel of guest teachers will be formed, and they will be paid on a per-period basis. Guest teachers will be appointed in institutions where posts remain vacant or when regular teachers go on leave.
The state is also considering merging schools and colleges with low student enrollment to optimize resources. Thakur further announced the rationalization of excess teaching staff, ensuring surplus teachers are shifted to institutions facing shortages.
Highlighting the government’s efforts to improve education quality, Thakur said that the state cabinet had approved the recruitment of 6,000 posts in the education department. Of these, 3,200 posts have already been filled, and the process to fill the remaining 2,800 posts through the State Selection Commission, Hamirpur, is underway. Additionally, results for lecturer posts conducted by the State Public Service Commission have been declared for five subjects, and appointments will be made soon. In higher education, 1,500 posts have been filled through promotions, direct recruitment, and batch-wise processes.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu supported the Guest Teacher Policy, stating it ensures continuity in teaching and learning. “If a regular teacher goes on leave, services of qualified guest teachers will be utilized to prevent any disruption in education,” he said.
However, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur criticized the policy, calling it harmful for students and the youth. He accused the government of acting arbitrarily and urged them to withdraw the policy, claiming it goes against the promise of providing permanent jobs to the youth. “This policy will tarnish Himachal Pradesh’s image nationwide. The government must reconsider its decision and focus on fulfilling its commitments,” Jairam Thakur added.
The debate over the Guest Teacher Policy has sparked strong reactions, with the government defending it as a necessary step to maintain education quality and the opposition accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises.
