Fresh Teacher Recruitment in J&K After 8 Years
Fresh Teacher Recruitment in J&K After 8 Years as Govt De-freezes 50% Posts
JAMMU – After an eight-year gap, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir is set to resume the recruitment of General Line Teachers. This development comes as the School Education Department has decided to de-freeze 50% of the previously frozen posts.
The decision was made during a high-level review meeting chaired by Education Minister Sakeena Itoo. The meeting focused on the ongoing shortage of teaching staff, a situation that emerged after the freezing of General Line Teacher posts in 2018. These posts were originally frozen to accommodate the absorption of Regularized Rehbar-e-Taleem (RRET) teachers into Grade II and III posts as part of a State Administrative Council (SAC) decision.
As per SAC decision no. 166/22/2018, dated 7th December 2018, recruitment of General Line Teachers was halted, leading to a significant shortage of teaching staff in government schools. The last recruitment drive for these posts occurred in 2017.
Now, the de-freezing of 50% of the 6,576 vacant posts clears the path for the recruitment of 3,288 new teachers through the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB). This is expected to help fill critical gaps in government schools across the region.
Additional Highlights from the Meeting:
- The transition period for RRET posts has been extended from 2029 to 2034.
- 1900 schools in J&K still lack separate girls’ toilets.
- 8.5% of schools are still without electricity.
- Only 50% of desks are available in government schools.
Instructions Issued:
- All Chief Education Officers (CEOs) must ensure that girls’ toilets are built in schools within the next four months.
- Heads of institutions will be designated as Estate Officers, responsible for maintaining infrastructure and ensuring availability of basic facilities.
- Other decisions included proposals for:
- Engaging subject-specific teachers and Cluster Resource Coordinators.
- Providing honorariums to cooks and Contingent Paid Workers (CPWs).
- Creating staff positions for “hanging schools” (schools with low staff strength or underutilized resources).
This move is expected to improve the quality of education and infrastructure in J&K's government schools, especially in rural and underserved areas.