Temporary School Teachers Await Salary Amidst Uncertainty as Onam Nears

With the approaching Onam season, around 12,000 temporary teachers employed in schools are facing an uncertain situation. Despite three months of the academic year having elapsed, these teachers have not yet received their salaries. The cause of this predicament is the delay in the Directorate of General Education (DGE) in updating the details of temporary teachers in the payroll software ‘Spark’.

While the Education department proposed delegating this responsibility to district education offices instead of the DGE, the Finance department rejected this idea, citing technical issues related to ‘Spark’. To address this matter promptly, the Finance department has directed the appointment of additional officers in the DGE. However, it remains unclear whether these teachers will receive their salaries before the onset of Onam.

In the past, teacher information was typically added to Spark publicly, ensuring regular salary disbursement. However, beginning this year, the respective departments are required to input staff details into Spark.