CHENNAI: To fill vacancies in schools for the upcoming academic year 2023-24, the respective Chief Education Officers (CEOs) have directed schools to appoint temporary teachers. It is likely that about 3,000 teachers will be appointed across Tamil Nadu.

A government school teacher in Chennai said, "Almost a week-ago, verbal instruction was given by the respective district CEOs to appoint required temporary teachers in each school. If the appointment was done last year, we have also been told to extend the tenure of those temporary teachers to the 2023-24 academic year."

The department through the recent general counselling for transfer and promotion found out that there are over 1,700 vacant positions for teachers in middle school and 1,100 vacant positions in primary schools.

Insisting to fill permanent positions in schools, a government school teacher in Thiruvallur noted, "There are a slew of petitions filed in court regarding every single announcement made to fill permanent positions in schools. This, both directly and indirectly, is affecting permanent post appointment in schools. Also, it does affect the teaching in the classroom too."

The Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), due to the delay in filling the vacant posts every year, had been directed to fill vacancies there in part-time or temporary positions.

For instance, 13,331 vacancies were directed to be filled last year to address teachers shortage.