Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government can remove 17 companies contracted for vocational education in government schools. A meeting is going on in the secretariat under the chairmanship of Education Minister Rohit Thakur regarding this because vocational teachers have recently gone on strike for 11 days in Shimla demanding the removal of service provider companies.
Vocational teachers are adamant about the demand to bring their services under the education department on the lines of Haryana. As per them, this will not put a financial burden of even a rupee on the government. The only demand of the teachers is that they should be brought under education department companies should be removed.
Vocational Teacher Association President Ashwani Kumar alleged that the contracted companies are exploiting them. Due to this, the government is also spending crores of rupees on the companies in the form of commissions.
Vocational subjects have been taught to students from 9th to 12th class in the state’s high and secondary schools since the year 2013. More than 80 thousand students are registered in these courses. The department has contracted not one or two but 17 companies for this. Through these, services of vocational teachers are being taken.
Vocational subjects are being taught in the schools under the scheme of preparing skilled workers of the center. In this, 90 percent budget is given by the center and 10 percent by the state government.