MUMBAI: Art teachers in schools across the state are being erased from the recruitment landscape, thanks to a government rule that limits their hiring to one drawing teacher for every 500 students. The new rule, announced in March 2024 but to be implemented from the upcoming academic year, covers government and government-aided private schools – more than 260 aided private schools in Mumbai alone stand to be impacted.
Principals of these schools said the government has not approved a single new appointment for art teachers since 2012, citing various administrative hurdles. One Mumbai principal said art classes for students in their school, from Classes 5 to 10, are in jeopardy.
“We currently have 461 students from Classes 5 to 10, and our drawing teacher is set to retire on June 30. Under the new rule, we can’t appoint a replacement. Drawing requires a specific skill set. It’s not something we can assign to another subject teacher,” he said.
Sunil Shikhare, chairperson of the Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Arts and Sports Teachers Federation, said, earlier, schools with classes that ran from five to ten were allowed to recruit art teachers without any student-count requirement. “But, since 2012, not a single post has been approved for art teachers,” Shikhare said.
A school principal said art teachers play a unique role in school life. “They are the soul of the school. They bring joy and help students express their creativity. They also contribute beyond the classroom by preparing educational charts, writing boards for school events, and assisting with teaching aids for other subjects. Now, all this will be affected,” she said, adding that art teachers also prepare students for elementary and intermediate drawing exams.
Kiran Sarode, vice-chairperson of the federation, added that the new rule will hit rural schools hardest, due to the student-count requirement. “We are demanding changes to the government resolution issued on March 15, 2024. The rule should be amended to allow schools to appoint a drawing teacher for every 250 students instead of 501. Most rural schools with Classes 1 to 10 have fewer than 500 students, and this decision deprives them of a basic art education,” he said.
The federation wrote to the school education commissioner on May 11, urging immediate action. They also stressed the need to appoint art teachers in schools where staff have retired, and to reopen recruitment through the Pavitra portal.
An official from the education directorate said, “We have received a letter from the association, and will discuss this issue in departmental meetings.”
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