p.a.t. policy

PRATHMIK SAHAYAK ADHYAPAK / PRIMARY ASSISTANT TEACHERS(P.A.T.) POLICY IN HIMACHAL PRADESH – A PENETRATION TO POLICY A Complete Detail by Vijay Kumar Heer The Governor , Himachal Pradesh is pleased to notify “ Himachal; Pradesh Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak /Primary Assistant Teacher (P.A.T.) Scheme, 2003 ” as per Annexure ‘A’ to recruit Primary Assistant Teachers through Panchayati Raj Institutions with a view to achieve the goals as laid down in the National Policy on Education , 1986 and Himachal Pradesh Primary Education Act, 1997. Please ensure that no explicit link with J.B.T. will be kept. Contract renewal will be done by Gram Panchayat . This will come into force with immediate effect. Himachal Pradesh Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak /Primary Assistant Teacher Scheme (P.A.T.)2003 1. Title- Himachal; Pradesh Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak /Primary Assistant Teacher (P.A.T.) Scheme, 2003. 2. Rationale- The Indian constitution stipulates free and compulsory education for all children in the age group 6-14 years. This enjoins upon the community the duty of sending their children to school and also the State Govt. the responsibility of providing adequate facilities for it. Proceeding in this direction , the State of Himachal Pradesh in order to promote universalisation of Primary Education and to achieve the target of 100 % enrolment of children in the age group 6-11 years, has made tremendous progress in expanding the schooling facilities and improving the enrolment in Primary Schools. This has brought down the drop-out rate significantly. Access to schooling has been substantially achieved by opening of Primary Schools within a walkable distance of 1 to 1.5 Km. At present there are 10634( now 10682) notified Primary Schools in the State,out of which 10593 are functional. The enrolment in primary schools has increased manifolds from 8697 to manifolds from mere 8967 in 1948 to over 6.72 Lac in 2002. Accordingly the number of posts of teachers including J. B.T./H.T./C.H.T. have also increased from meager 278 to 31954 in 2001. Further, the Government of Himachal Pradesh has already made Primary Education compulsory by enacting the HIMACHAL PRADESH COMPULSORY PRIMARY EDUCATION ACT,1997( ACT No. 2 OF 1998). Besides above , Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan hence after called “SSA” has also been started in the state to improve the performance of school system and provide community owned equal elementary education in the mission. It envisages bridging gender and social disparities at elementary level of education and therefore focuses on education of girls, scheduled castes, schedule tribes and children conformed with difficult circumstances. The specific objectives of “ SSA” are:- •To enroll compulsorily all children in schools for elementary and primary education by providing schools/centres, alternate schools and back to school campus etc. by year 2003. •To retain all children in age group of 6-14 in formal schools or their alternatives by the year 2010. •To ensure that all the children in the age group of 6-11 complete five years of education by the year 2007 and all the elementary education by the year 2010. •To bridge gender and social disparities at the primary level by the year 2007 and at elementary level by the year 2010. Thus to achieve the gigantic task of universalisation of Elementary Education in view of tough geographical conditions of state, the non-availability of trained teaching man power, due to the financial constraints, the reluctance of the trained teachers available to serve in remote areas, teachers absentecism and poor scholastic standards etc. In order to counter these problems effectively , the Govt. proposes to fill the vacancies of J.B.T. teachers through Para-Teacher, who are paid less than regular J.B.T. teacher and who will keep the employees of the Gram Panchayats for all intents and purposes .Keeping these aspects in view,the H.P. PRATHMIK SAHAYAK ADHYAPAK/ PRIMARY ASSISTANT TEACHER(PAT) SHEME, 2003 has been visualized. This will cause significant saving in costs, which is important in the larger context of universalisation of Primary Education. The scheme aims at , vesting more powers upon Gram Panchayats, so that they are able to perform the following functions:- •Recruitment of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT) to teach the primary classes, in primary schools,located in jurisdiction of Gram Panchayats . •To evaluate the performance of the Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) so appointed. •To deal the service matters/ conditions relating to Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT) appointed under this scheme. •To co-ordinate with the Department of Primary Education in the implementation of other policies of Govt. devised for the Universalisation of Primary Education. 3. Objectives: (a)The SCHEME aims at total eradication of illiteracy as per the goals laid down in the National Policy on Education ,1986 and the Programme of Action,1992. (b)To achieve the goals set out in The H.P. Compulsory Primary Education Act, 1997 ( Act No. 2 of 1998) which has been enforced w.e.f. 1 st April ,1998. (c)To empower the Gram Panchayats further by decentralizing and involving Gram Panchayats in the elective running of Primary Schools. (d)To achieve 100 % enrolment of children in the age group of 6-11 years in the Govt. Primary Schools in Himachal Pradesh. (e)To improve the standard of education in Primary Schools of H.P. (f)To provide the innovative ways to counter the problem of teacher absentecism, i.e. inability shown by teachers in taking up postings in primary schools located in the remote and difficult areas. (g)To provide an opportunity for the uneducated unemployed youth of Himachal Pradesh to teach in Govt. Primary Schools of their villages and earn a decent honorarium as well. 4. Assumptions:- Being contractual nature of appointment , The selection of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT),from the same or the nearby village within the Gram Panchayat area and the condition will be precedent for the appointment as a requirement of belonging to the same village/community of the area, may motivate him, to work more efficiently . Moreover, it will help in curbing the problem of teachers absentecism and reluctance on the part of the teachers of urban areas to work in remote/ inaccessible areas of the state. The local appointment of the teacher and his capablility to convenience with students/parents in the local language of area, will certainly help in bringing down the drop-out rate and achieve the professed target of universalisation of Primary Education. This may also likely to improve the standard of education in Govt. Primary Schools of Himachal Pradesh. In addition to this, local recruitment of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT) is likely to tackle the problem of un-employment , language and cultural gap between the teacher and students and facilitate a workable solution to the problem of non-availability of teachers in remote and inaccessible areas of the State. 5. Method of recruitment and conditions of service: (a)Under this scheme Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) shall be appointed by the respective Gram Panchayats of the area in which the Primary School is located, in accordance with the procedure mentioned. (b)The actual number of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) to be appointed as and when required , will be calculated on the basis of approved Pupil: Teacher Ratio/norms, School and Gram Panchayat wise, with the first preference to without/single teacher schools, followed by the recruitment of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT)in consonance with the approved Pupil: Teacher Ratio( PTR) ,in other schools also. (c)Any vacancy of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT) caused due to any reasons after the commencement of the scheme may be filled up by marking fresh appointments of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT)in accordance with the procedure as laid down in the scheme for selection of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT). The Block Primary Education Officer will submit school-wise and Panchayat-wise requirement to concerned Deputy Director of Primary Education of the district concerned, who will submit the consolidated requirement for the district to the department. The Director Primary Education after seeking approval of the Govt. will accord permission to the concerned district to fill up the vacancies be engaging the Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) through the Gram Panchayat s. The exact amount of required/anticipated Grant in Aid would be worked out and provided in budget and made available to the concerned Gram Panchayats. (d)The Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT),may be recruited initially for a period of one academic session by the respective Gram Panchayats of the area in which the Primary School is located, after observing the procedure laid down in the Annexure-I, of the scheme. The Academic session will be defined from time to time by Govt. (e)Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) so recruited will be the employees of the Gram Panchayats ,for all intent and purposes. They will not have any claim for regularization/absorption into Govt. job. (f)The service of Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher( PAT),shall be utilized by the Gram Panchayats in the Govt.Primary Schools ,against vacancies separately allocated for the purpose. (g)The contract will ordinarily be renewed by the concerned Gram Panchayat, for further period, unless withheld for the reason to be recorded in writing in accordance with the conditions of the scheme. (h)That Prathmik Sahayak Adhyapak/ Primary Assistant Teacher(PAT) shall subject to orders of the Gram Panchayat
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