200 teachers await contract renewal; skill classes in govt schools fall silent in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: Govt schools in the city reopened for the new academic session on April 1 but nearly 200 vocational subject teachers on contract, who conduct skill education classes for students, are still waiting for renewal of their annual contracts.

This has cast vocational education in uncertainty at a time when CBSE is aggressively pushing skill-based learning under the National Education Policy (NEP).

The teachers, engaged on yearly contracts and paid nearly Rs 20,000 a month, have not been given renewal letters this session despite contracts usually being extended around April 1 every year. Their absence has disrupted vocational periods in several schools where subjects such as information technology, retail, beauty and wellness, marketing and sales, artificial intelligence and employability skills are taught to students of Classes IX to XII.

The issue reached Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria after a teachers' union submitted a representation seeking immediate renewal of services and regularisation of vocational teachers working in govt schools for years.

In the representation, the union stated that vocational education was no longer an "optional activity" but a core component of CBSE's academic structure, and alleged that delaying contract renewals left both teachers and students in limbo.

In recent years, CBSE has significantly expanded vocational and skill education in schools.

The Board currently offers more than 20 skill subjects at the secondary level and over 40 at senior secondary level, while also directing schools to establish composite skill labs and strengthen employability-focused education in line with NE.

Under CBSE's latest skill education framework, vocational education forms part of the scheme of studies for secondary classes, with employability skills integrated across courses. Subjects including information technology, tourism, banking, data science, artificial intelligence and marketing are now being actively promoted in schools.

Union leaders questioned how the administration expected schools to implement CBSE's expanding vocational curriculum without teachers on duty. The delay has also led to concerns among teachers over uncertainty in income and continuity of employment.