Alleged delay in filling agriculture graduate teacher post in gov't schools irks teachers

The filling of the agriculture graduate teacher posts in the Agriculture Science group which comes under the vocational stream in government and aided schools are being delayed by the school education department, alleged the Tamil Nadu Agricultural Graduate Teachers' Association. 

M Madhavan the state president of the association, told TNIE, "In 2021, joint director (vocational) of the school education department collected vacancy details of the teachers' vacant post from the schools' district wise to fill the posts. On this, they found more than 60 teacher posts are vacant in the around 400 schools in the state. A few teachers also attained retirement in recent times." He pointed out that this teacher appointment was last held in 2009 and after that, the posts have not been filled.

The association's president demanded, "Besides, agriculture graduate teachers' posts have been abolished and the agriculture science group has been closed in many years in the last ten years. So, the school education department should restart the course in schools considering student welfare." He also said that they submitted a memorandum seeking to fill the vacant post with the school education department. But there were no steps taken.

An agriculture graduate teacher in Pollachi North block in Coimbatore district, told TNIE, "Apart from appointing teachers, the department should also focus on setting up agriculture labs in schools. Due to a lack of lab facilities, students do not learn lessons practically." She said that the department should allot funds to this stream as they have to spend their own money for agricultural practicals, setting up gardening in schools, taking the students on agriculture tours and so on in the school, stated The New Indian Express report.

Subjects like Agricultural, Biology, Tamil, English and practical and employability skills are taught to students from Classes XI and XII, according to sources. The vocational stream was available in nine schools and four teacher posts are vacant, said a top official from the district school education department. He said that the school education department planned to appoint temporary teachers in the vacant post.