New service rules for teachers

HYDERABAD: Over 2.69 lakh school teachers will have new service rules before reopening of the schools. Exercise to draft new service rules both for Panchayat raj and government teachers began on Tuesday. The issue of unified service rules for the teachers, is one of the long pending demands since many years and it could not be taken forward, as the government teachers did not like the idea fearing that it would hamper their promotional chances.The school education department held talks with representatives of all teacher unions to elicit their opinion. According to sources, the government is likely to bring school assistants, physical directors and Grade-I language teachers under one category. All of them might be called school assistants as per the new service rules and will have same basic and other emoluments. This is to bring equality among school assistants, language pandits and physical education teachers so that all will enjoy equal privileges, a senior official told The Times of India. As of now, the school education department is allowing teachers who are B.Ed. graduates to become head masters by virtue of seniority and clearance of departmental tests. This has deprived language pandits and physical education teachers to become head masters. To correct this anomaly, the department is likely to allow both language pandits and physical education teachers with some new rules, the official said. The department might change unit of appointment from zone to district for all head masters in the state. This means, they will be transferred within their districts unlike zonal transfers being followed currently. The school education department is extremely cautious in drafting new rules to avert any kind of legal hurdles. Senior officials have started their exercise to draft fool-proof rules.