Guest teacher appointment delay: Academic activities yet to begin in 150 Moulana Azad Model Schools

A file photo of Moulana Azad Model School in Shivaji Nagar.

A week after the academic year 2025-26 began across the State, academic activities are yet to take off in 150 Moulana Azad Model Schools run by the Minority Welfare Department (MWD), due to shortage of teachers. 

Essentially, the department has failed to appoint guest teachers before the schools reopened. Amidst strong opposition, for the first time in the State, the department held an entrance test on June 2 to select guest teachers. It is expected to take at least 20 more days to evaluate these test papers and select teachers. Until then, academic activities in these schools will be suspended. Over 12,000 aspirants wrote the entrance test for over 900 vacancies for guest teachers.

Of the total 250 Moulana Azad Model Schools, the State government has recruited and posted teachers to only 100 schools, and the remaining 150 schools are entirely dependent on guest teachers. To these schools, till the guest teachers are selected, one teacher has been temporarily deputed from other schools run by the department.

Delay hits academic activity

Shortage of teachers at Moulana Azad Model Schools have already impacted academic performance of students in these schools. While boarding schools run by MWD recorded a result of 80.61% in class 10 exams for 2024-25, Moulana Azad Model Schools recorded a result of 51.13% this year. 

A principal of one of the Moulana Azad Model Schools pointed out how the Department of School Education and Literacy had recruited 51,000 guest teachers before schools reopened, but the Minority Welfare Department did not. “Due to inordinate delay, policy changes, and negligence by MWD authorities, there are no teachers in Moulana Azad Model Schools despite schools being reopened. If they wanted to hold an entrance test to select guest teachers, it had to be held during summer holidays, not on June 2,” he said.

Another principal lamented that it was difficult to teach children till the appointment of guest teachers. “We are unable to carry out any work, including student enrollment, conducting bridge courses, lesson plans, and other activities. This delay will impact the quality of education of children studying in these schools this academic year,” he said.