PUNE: Lack of teachers and poor quality of education has always been a matter of concern for the tribal activists, but now the Ashram Schools in the State would be getting teachers proportional to number of students, as per Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

The Maharashtra Government has issued a new Government Resolution (GR), which states that the teacher-student ratio of 1:30 will also apply to the Ashram Schools in the State. There are 496 government-run and 556 aided Ashram Schools in the State, where 4,55,000 students are taking education, as per the government data.

“At least one-third of the teaching posts at Ashram Schools in Maharashtra are vacant. The good news is that the recruitment for the same has already begun,” tribal activist and regional secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Adivasi Front Ravindra Talape told Sakal Times.

The principals have been instructed to fill the information about the teacher to student ratio at their schools online, by October 30, 2019.

The GR states that in case the number of teachers at any of the schools is higher, then these teachers would be assimilated at other Ashram Schools where the number is low.

CRITERIA TO DECIDE NO. OF TEACHERS
- For a primary school (class I to V), if the number of students exceeds 150, that Ashram School is eligible for five teachers and a Principal.
- For the upper primary section (class VI to VIII), the ratio would be one teacher for 35 students, and three if the number of students exceeds up to 105. 
- For the secondary sections (class IX and X) would be allowed to appoint two teachers, each for one class, as long as the class capacity is at least 40.
- For the higher secondary schools (with class XI and XII), four teachers each could be appointed for Arts and Commerce streams each, five for Science stream, seven for the schools offering Arts and Commerce, and eight for those that have either of the Arts and Commerce streams coupled with Science.