The guest teachers are involved in the drive to bring back to school the drop outs in age category between 6 and 14
The guest teachers are involved in the drive to bring back to school the drop outs in age category between 6 and 14
The Shri Kshetra Dharmastala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), a Non-Governmental organisation, has arranged a guest teacher each to 750 government and government-aided private schools across Karnataka for 2022-23.
The SKDRDP Executive Director L.H. Manjunath said in a release that providing guest teachers to government and aided schools has been part of SKDRDP’s Jnanadeepa Education programme initiated in 1989 under which assistance is given to meet basic needs of schools, including repair of school buildings, purchase of desks and drinking water facilities. “Initially we provided guest teachers to schools in Dakshina Kannada. Since last three years, we are providing guest teachers to schools in other parts of the State,” he said.
Of teachers arranged this year, 231 are single teacher schools. The guest teachers are paid a monthly honorarium of ₹5,000 by the NGO. “The guest teachers are arranged to schools to ensure 1:40 teacher student ratio is maintained,” he said and added that the SKDRDP is trying to ensure that education of students in rural areas are not affected due to lack of teachers. “These young guest teachers will get good experience teaching the kids,” he added.
Apart from teaching, the guest teachers are involved in the drive to bring back to school the drop outs in age category between 6 and 14 . They visit houses and ensure that children, who have passed Class 5, get enrolled to Class 6 in the higher primary school. The teachers are working towards improving overall attendance of students and are ensuring that students in the village go to schools, Mr. Manjunath said.
So far, Mr. Manjunath said, ₹11 crore has been spent towards paying honorarium of guest teachers. A total of ₹43.81 crore has been spent under the Jnanadeepa programme so far, he said.
Appointed
Meanwhile, the State government, based on number of students as on December 2021, has permitted government schools to take services of guest teachers. In Dakshina Kannada, a total of 955 guest teachers have been appointed for government primary schools this year in three phases. While 764 and 152 guest teachers were appointed in first two phases respectively, services of 39 guest teachers were availed recently. For government secondary schools, a total of 189 guest teachers have been taken, an official from the primary and secondary education department said.
