CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin announced on Saturday that part-time teachers will be regularised by the Department of School Education following a mandatory entrance exam.
Replying to the Governor’s address in the Assembly, the CM said these teachers would receive appropriate weightage marks based on their years of service to facilitate their transition to permanent status.
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi further clarified that while the government recently increased the monthly pay of part-time teachers by Rs 2,500 raising it to Rs 15,000, the administration decided to grant the demand for regularisation due to persistent protests.
“Since the part-time teachers persisted in job regularisation, the government has agreed to their demand. We will regularise them based on an exam. They will be given weightage marks as per their tenure," said the minister, congratulating the teachers and thanking the Chief Minister for the decision.
The announcement, however, did not satisfy the agitating part-time teachers who had been protesting since January 8 and for several years before that. “The DMK promised to regularise the part-time teachers during the 2016 and 2011 election campaigns as well. However, even after winning the 2021 election, the DMK refused to fulfil its promise, putting it off till elections," they said.
"When will the government announce the exam and conduct it? They had enough time for this to be done in five years. Also, after 15 years of service as part-time teachers, why should we write the exam and compete with fresh candidates?" asked a member of TN Part-time Teachers' Federation, speaking to DT Next.
The member went on to add that, as per GO110, in August 2011, the AIADMK government decided to fill 16,549 teacher vacancies. "We were hired in 2012 after clearing the necessary exams and took the role of part-time teachers for a meagre Rs 5,000 monthly pay. After continuous protests and demands, our salary in 2026 has reached Rs 15,000 per month. Even after all this, why should we write an exam for the government to make us permanent?" the member questioned.