Guest Teachers in Schools in India

Guest Teachers in Schools in India

Guest Teachers in Schools in India: A Comprehensive Analysis (2025)

Abstract

Guest teachers, often referred to as contractual teachers, Shiksha Mitras, or Gurujis, are pivotal in addressing teacher shortages in India’s vast education system. Employed on temporary contracts, they ensure educational continuity in government schools, particularly in rural and underserved regions. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of guest teachers, examining their appointment rationale, salary structures, terms of reference (ToR), state-wise and national prevalence, minimum qualifications, and their role within the Samagra Shiksha scheme. It evaluates their impact on teaching quality, learning outcomes, and overall education, while highlighting service conditions and systemic challenges. Drawing on recent data and scholarly sources, the article proposes policy reforms to enhance educational outcomes and teacher welfare, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Para-Teachers’ Agitations in India: Recent Terminations in Uttar Pradesh and Other States (2025)

Introduction

India’s education system, encompassing 1.47 million schools, 248 million students, and 9.81 million teachers, is one of the largest globally (Ministry of Education, 2024). Despite its scale, it grapples with persistent challenges, including teacher shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and disparities in access to quality education. Guest teachers—temporary or contractual educators—have emerged as a critical mechanism to address these gaps, particularly in government schools in rural and remote areas. Known variably as Shiksha Mitras, Gurujis, or para-teachers, they are appointed to fill vacant teaching positions and maintain school operations. However, their reliance raises concerns about job security, qualifications, and educational quality. This article examines the role of guest teachers in India, analysing their appointment rationale, terms of service, qualifications, and impact on education, while proposing solutions to systemic challenges.

Para-Teachers’ Agitations in India: Recent Terminations in Uttar Pradesh and Other States (2025)

Reasons for the Appointment of Guest Teachers

The appointment of guest teachers is driven by the need to address systemic gaps in India’s education system. Their recruitment began with state-specific initiatives, such as Rajasthan’s Shiksha Karmi and Lok Jumbish projects, and later extended to centrally sponsored programs like the District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2020). Key reasons for their appointment include:

  • Teacher Shortages: India faces a chronic shortage of qualified teachers, with over 1 million vacancies reported in 2023 (UDISE, 2023). Guest teachers provide a stopgap solution, particularly in rural and tribal areas with limited access to permanent educators.
  • Cost Efficiency: Contractual teachers are less expensive than permanent staff, receiving lower salaries and minimal benefits. States often appoint three to four guest teachers in place of one regular teacher (Batra, 2021).
  • Flexibility: Guest teachers can be hired swiftly to address immediate needs, such as teacher absences or fluctuating enrollment, often bypassing rigorous recruitment processes like the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2020).
  • Implementation of Schemes: Programs like Samagra Shiksha rely on guest teachers to staff schools in underserved regions, ensuring universal access to education.
  • Temporary Coverage: Guest teachers cover for permanent teachers on leave or manage increased enrollment during specific academic years.

While their deployment ensures educational continuity, it underscores deeper issues, such as inadequate permanent teacher recruitment and systemic underfunding.

Salary Structure

Guest teacher salaries vary widely across states and are significantly lower than those of permanent teachers. A 2024 report indicates monthly salaries range from INR 10,000 to INR 25,000, depending on state policies, qualifications, and teaching levels (primary, upper primary, or secondary) (Times of India, 2024). Examples include:

  • Delhi: Guest teachers earn INR 1,000–1,500 per day, calculated based on working days, with no pay during school vacations (Directorate of Education, Delhi, 2024).
  • Uttar Pradesh: Shiksha Mitras receive a fixed honorarium of INR 10,000–15,000 monthly (Government of Uttar Pradesh, 2024).
  • Karnataka: Guest teachers earn INR 15,000–20,000 monthly, based on qualifications (Department of Public Instruction, Karnataka, 2024).

Unlike permanent teachers, guest teachers rarely receive benefits such as health insurance, provident funds, or paid leave. Irregular salary disbursements exacerbate financial insecurity, contributing to low morale and high turnover rates (Batra, 2021).

Terms of Reference (ToR) for Guest Teachers

The ToR for guest teachers outlines their roles, responsibilities, and service conditions, varying by state but sharing common elements:

  • Teaching Duties: Deliver curriculum-based instruction, conduct assessments, and maintain classroom discipline.
  • Contract Duration: Typically one academic year, renewable based on performance and school needs.
  • Work Hours: Equivalent to permanent teachers, approximately 6–7 hours daily.
  • Accountability: Report to school principals or block education officers, with evaluations based on student performance and attendance.
  • No Job Security: Contracts can be terminated without notice, and permanent employment is not guaranteed.

The ToR often lacks provisions for professional development, limiting opportunities for skill enhancement and career growth (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2020).

Number of Guest Teachers: State-Wise and All-India Level

Accurate data on guest teachers is scarce, but UDISE and state reports provide estimates. Approximately 500,000 guest teachers are employed nationwide, constituting 10–15% of the government school teaching workforce (UDISE, 2023). State-wise figures include:

  • Uttar Pradesh: ~150,000 Shiksha Mitras and contractual teachers, primarily in primary schools (Government of Uttar Pradesh, 2024).
  • Bihar: ~100,000 Niyojit teachers in government schools (Bihar Education Department, 2024).
  • Madhya Pradesh: ~70,000 Guruji and contractual teachers, especially in tribal areas (MP Education Portal, 2024).
  • Karnataka: ~20,000 guest teachers (Department of Public Instruction, Karnataka, 2024).
  • Delhi: ~15,000 guest teachers in government schools (Directorate of Education, Delhi, 2024).

States with large rural populations and limited resources rely heavily on guest teachers, highlighting disparities in teacher recruitment.

Minimum Qualifications: Academic and Professional

Guest teacher qualifications are governed by state education departments and aligned with National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines. Common requirements include:

Academic Qualifications

  • Primary Level: Higher Secondary (Class 12) with at least 50% marks.
  • Upper Primary/Secondary: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject with at least 50% marks.

Professional Qualifications

  • Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) or Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) for primary and upper primary levels.
  • B.Ed or equivalent for secondary levels.
  • Some states require the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification.

However, qualifications vary in practice. For example, Shiksha Mitras in Uttar Pradesh may have only a high school diploma, reflecting relaxed standards in areas with acute teacher shortages (Government of Uttar Pradesh, 2024). States like Karnataka emphasize merit-based selection to ensure quality (Department of Public Instruction, Karnataka, 2024).

Guest Teachers in Samagra Shiksha

Samagra Shiksha, launched in 2018, is an integrated scheme aimed at providing inclusive and equitable education from pre-school to Class XII (Ministry of Education, 2024). Guest teachers are integral to its implementation by:

  • Staffing Remote Schools: Ensuring access to education in areas with low teacher-student ratios.
  • Supporting Inclusive Education: Assisting students with special needs and marginalized communities.
  • Implementing Bridge Courses
    : Conducting remedial classes to address learning gaps.

However, Samagra Shiksha lacks specific guidelines for guest teacher recruitment, training, or compensation, leading to inconsistent implementation across states (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2020).

Impact on Quality of Teaching, Learning, and Education

The reliance on guest teachers has mixed implications for educational quality:

Positive Impacts

  • Access to Education: Guest teachers ensure schools remain operational, reducing dropout rates in underserved areas (UDISE, 2023).
  • Community Engagement: Local hires, such as Shiksha Mitras, foster parental involvement due to community ties (Batra, 2021).

Negative Impacts

  • Limited Training: Many guest teachers lack adequate pedagogical training, impacting instructional quality (Kumar & Sangeeta, 2020).
  • Job Insecurity: Low salaries and precarious contracts lead to demotivation, reducing teaching effectiveness (Batra, 2021).
  • Inconsistent Quality: Variations in qualifications and experience result in uneven teaching standards.
  • Learning Outcomes: Studies show schools with high proportions of contractual teachers have lower student achievement in subjects like mathematics and language (Azim Premji Foundation, 2023).

The over-reliance on guest teachers undermines NEP 2020’s goal of equitable, high-quality education.

Service Conditions and Challenges

Guest teachers face significant challenges that hinder their performance and well-being:

  • Financial Instability: Irregular and low salaries create economic hardship.
  • Lack of Benefits: No access to health insurance, pensions, or paid leave.
  • Limited Professional Development: Few opportunities for training or career advancement.
  • Social Stigma: Viewed as “temporary” staff, reducing their authority in schools.
  • High Workload: Often tasked with additional administrative duties due to staffing shortages.

These conditions contribute to high attrition rates, perpetuating teacher shortages (Batra, 2021).

Solutions to Address the Guest Teacher Issue

To enhance the guest teacher system and improve educational quality, the following measures are proposed:

  1. Regularization of Services: Gradually absorb qualified guest teachers into permanent positions, as implemented in Rajasthan (Government of Rajasthan, 2024).
  2. Enhanced Training Programs: Provide mandatory pre-service and in-service training aligned with NEP 2020 standards.
  3. Standardized Compensation: Establish a national framework for guest teacher salaries and benefits to ensure fairness.
  4. Recruitment Reforms: Increase permanent teacher recruitment to reduce reliance on contractual staff.
  5. Monitoring and Evaluation: Implement robust systems to assess guest teacher performance and student outcomes.
  6. Policy Integration: Strengthen Samagra Shiksha guidelines to include specific provisions for guest teacher recruitment and support.

These reforms require coordinated efforts between central and state governments, supported by adequate funding and political commitment.

Concluding Observations

Guest teachers are a vital yet contentious component of India’s education system. While they address teacher shortages and ensure educational access, their low salaries, precarious service conditions, and variable qualifications challenge teaching quality and learning outcomes. The Samagra Shiksha scheme underscores their importance but lacks clear guidelines for their integration. To align with NEP 2020’s vision of equitable and high-quality education, India must reform the guest teacher system through regularization, enhanced training, and standardized compensation. By addressing these systemic issues, India can strengthen its education system, improve learning outcomes, and ensure teacher welfare.

Suggested Readings

Azim Premji Foundation. (2023). State of education in India: Challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from https://azimpremjifoundation.org/reports

Batra, P. (2021). Teacher education and the challenges of contractual teaching in India. Economic and Political Weekly, 56(42), 35–42. Retrieved from https://www.epw.in/journal/2021/42

Directorate of Education, Delhi. (2024). Guest teacher recruitment guidelines. Retrieved from http://edudel.nic.in

Government of Rajasthan. (2024). Shiksha Karmi regularization policy. Retrieved from https://education.rajasthan.gov.in

Government of Uttar Pradesh. (2024). Shiksha Mitra guidelines and salary structure. Retrieved from https://upbasiceduboard.gov.in

Kumar, V., & Sangeeta. (2020). Contractual teachers in India: Issues and challenges. Journal of Indian Education, 46(3), 12–25. Retrieved from https://ncert.nic.in/journal

Ministry of Education. (2024). Samagra Shiksha: Annual report 2023–24. Retrieved from https://samagrashiksha.education.gov.in

MP Education Portal. (2024). Guruji and contractual teacher statistics. Retrieved from https://educationportal.mp.gov.in

Times of India. (2024, January 15). Guest teachers demand salary hikes across states. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

UDISE. (2023). Unified District Information System for Education: Annual report 2022–23. Retrieved from https://udiseplus.gov.in