NEW DELHI: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) mayor Mukesh Suryan on Wednesday said that the civic body has re-appointed 586 contractual teachers under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The contracts of these teachers were not renewed by the civic body when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, rendering them jobless.

Suryan said that he wrote to the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to re-appoint the teachers. The South civic body runs 581 primary schools, which have around 3 lakh students enrolled. "I am grateful that the union minister agreed to the request. The number of students enrolling with the schools is increasing now. Owing to this, SDMC schools need 600 more teachers. With the re-appointment of teachers, the student-teacher ratio will improve," said Suryan.

Under the SSA, the contracts of these teachers have been renewed from October 18 to March 31, 2022. "Appointment letters will be issued after submission of relevant documents by the teachers. The civic body has been making all possible efforts to improve the level of education in its schools and the recent move is part of the whole exercise," the mayor said.

The North and South civic bodies had not renewed contracts of around 1,000 teachers. While the North civic body had renewed their contracts earlier this year, the South civic body was yet to do the same.

Staff stayed unemployed for long

The South civic body runs 581 primary schools, which have around 3 lakh students enrolled. The contracts of these teachers were not renewed by the civic body when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, rendering them jobless.