30 hrs in school, 15 outside?

The implementation of the Right To Education Act (RTE) in April last year had made it compulsory for teachers to spend 45 hours every week within the premises of the school of which they were employees. This had raised protests from teachers across the city.

Thus, after discussions in an Assembly session, the government has passed a new resolution on April 29, clarifying that the total hours will be split up.

The new government resolution (GR) stipulates that teachers will only have to work 30 hours per week within the school premises, and the remaining 15 hours can be spent outside the school, planning lessons, evaluating scripts, developing novel teaching techniques, or updating their knowledge.

However, principals seem to be rather confused about the implications of this
GR: should the teachers spend those 15 hours outside or inside school premises?

Principals are also worried that it will prove harmful for the below-average students from STD I-VIII, to whom the teachers would give special attention after class hours, so they could be promoted in compliance with the RTE rule, which prevents students of those grades from being held back.
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Thus a large part of this time was spent giving special attention to weak students. Principals are skeptical about the teachers' activities once they are outside the school premises.

Raj Aloni, Principal, Ramsheth Thakur Public School, (CBSE) Kharghar, said, "The new GR that has been passed by the government may have negative consequences.

After the RTE Act prevented us from holding back weak students, we asked teachers to spend 15 non-teaching hours helping weak students.

But now that this new resolution has been passed, I feel that teachers might overlook the needs of the weaker students."

Najma Kazi, Principal of Anjuman-I-Islam's Saif Tyabji Girls High School and Jr College of Arts & Science said, "School principals are puzzled with the new GR; should teachers spend 30 hours in school and 15 hours outside it?"

R G Pillai, former trustee of Tilak Nagar School and advocate, said, "I do not think this GR will have a positive impact."

Advocate speak YP Singh, IPS officer and lawyer, said, "The schedule appended to the RTE Act specifies a
minimum number ofu00a0 working hours per week.
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Since the words 'working hours' have been used, the preparation time of 15 hours has to be within the school, and cannot be outside the school premises. Since a GR cannot go against the primary enactment of the RTE, it is not legally sustainable. Unless the act is amended this circular cannot be enforced."

Teaching time
Minimum instructional hours in an academic year:
STD I to V - 800 hours
STD VI to VIII - 1000 hours
Minimum number of working hours per week for the teacher - 45 hours, spent teaching and preparing for lessons

The Other Side
Kapil Patil, MLC representing teacher's constituency, said, "We protested against the clause regarding teachers' working hours. 45 hours is too much for teachers.

We have not only saved teachers from stress, but also helped the students who were being made to sit in the
classroom for two extra hours after school. This GR has brought great relief to many teachers."

Jayant Jain, President of Forum for Fairness in Education, said, "Hardly any school used to give remedial coaching to students. I personally welcome the new resolution."