Thiruvananthapuram: Employment exchanges were not informed of the appointment of about 8,000 temporary teachers in schools under the state's general education department, allegations have surfaced.
Though thousands of qualified jobseekers have registered with the employment exchanges, none of the schools contacted the exchanges for hiring the contractual teachers. The respective Parent-Teachers' Associations of the schools hired the teachers instead, and the government paying their salaries.
Allegedly, appointments were made based on political pressure and recommendations.
The department of general education said a list of temporary appointments has not been finalised. However, a source said about 8,000 teachers have been appointed so far on a temporary basis.
Higher secondary schools are dependent on non-permanent teachers to tutor the temporary 178 batches, including the newly allotted 97. Primary teachers are paid Rs 955 a day, while high school teachers get Rs 1,100. Higher secondary junior teachers are paid Rs 1,205 and seniors receive a daily payment of Rs 1,455.
All state-sponsored temporary postings should be made only through the employment exchanges, the government in 2004 had mandated through an order. The employment directorate claimed it reminds the general education department of the order every year. The education department accounts for the most number of temporary recruitments.
However, the department has been constantly rejecting the director's letter citing delays in appointments. Incidentally, the department has been coming up with endless justifications despite having the provision for seeking a list of eligible candidates and receiving it through e-mails within days.
The employment director had in a letter requested the general education department to fill up temporary vacancies from its list of candidates in March itself. The department ignored the mail. However, it asked recruiters to accord priority to those on the PSC list.
Incidentally, the general education and labour departments come under minister V Sivankutty.
28.7 lakh registered candidates in employment exchanges
Temporary appointments in various departments are not done through employment exchanges, which have 28.7 lakh registered candidates. The government has repeatedly announced that non-permanent appointments would be made only through exchanges whenever allegations of backdoor appointments are raised.
Despite the announcement, appointments are made sidelining the exchanges, mostly based on political recommendations, allegedly.
Of the 28.7 lakh registered candidates, 18.33 lakh are women, 10.36 lakh are men and 18 are transgender individuals. As many as 1,07,003 are persons with disabilities. Scheduled caste and Scheduled tribe candidates numbered 5.29 lakh and 44,832 respectively.