Vocational trainers in Assam government schools are demanding the removal of private third-party agencies from their employment. These trainers, who teach subjects like information technology to students in grades 9 and 10, argue they are exploited by the current system. They want to be directly employed by the government.
Trainer Grievances Mount
Since 2018, trainers have been hired through private agencies called “training management partners” (TMP). Their salaries are funded by the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, a central government education scheme. However, trainers report significantly fewer benefits than regular government employees. These include stricter attendance rules, fewer leave days, lower salaries, and frequent payment delays.
Trainers feel caught between their private employers and the demands of the government schools they serve. They report being unheard and exploited. In response, they have organized and are now calling for direct government appointment.
Salary Delays and Financial Strain
Salary delays are common for many trainers. Payments often arrive three to four months late. Some trainers have experienced delays of up to six months. During these periods, they continue teaching without guaranteed payment dates.
“There are months when I have to borrow money from friends just to manage food and travel,” one trainer stated. They are often told that payments are delayed because funds have not been released by Samagra Shiksha.
Most trainers receive approximately Rs 23,000 per month after deductions. Many claim they were not clearly informed about their salary structure. Provident fund and other deductions are made. However, trainers allege they rarely receive proper explanations or timely salary slips.
Full-Time Work, Limited Options
Trainers are required to be present in school from early morning until 3 PM. This fixed schedule prevents them from taking on other jobs to supplement their income during salary delays. “We stay in school from 8 in the morning till evening, so doing any other work is impossible,” a trainer said.
Unlike permanent government teachers, vocational trainers must report to school and mark attendance even during vacations. Failure to do so has led to salary deductions, with trainers marked absent. “During the summer vacation, I came to school just to mark attendance,” one trainer reported. “Still, my salary was cut by thousands of rupees.”
Intrusive Monitoring and Deductions
Daily attendance is tracked using a mobile application with geofencing technology. This app activates only when the teacher is within 200 meters of the school. This occurs even though the Assam government already uses the Shiksha Setu app for attendance registration.
Beyond the app, third-party contractors use other methods to monitor presence. “Even after marking attendance, we get video calls asking if we are in class,” an IT trainer revealed. Trainers fear losing their jobs and remain silent about the perceived harassment.
Small delays, even five minutes, can result in an absence being marked. Leaving school early leads to salary deductions. When there are no classes, trainers are assigned non-teaching duties on campus.
Guest Lectures and Unreimbursed Expenses
Vocational trainers are also responsible for organizing guest lectures. They invite industry professionals to speak. Payments, or honoraria, for these guest lecturers are frequently delayed or only partially released.
“When two guest lecturers come on the same day, many times only one is paid and the other payment is kept pending,” a trainer explained. Trainers often cover travel and refreshment costs for guest lecturers themselves. These personal expenses can accumulate to thousands of rupees annually.
Job Insecurity and Lack of Benefits
Leave policies are another significant concern. Trainers have limited medical leave. Exceeding this limit results in salary cuts. There is no formal maternity leave policy for these contractual workers.
“There are trainers who become pregnant, but they don’t get proper leave,” one trainer noted. They face the choice of losing pay or risking their jobs. Despite years of service, trainers remain contractual workers with no job security.
Some trainers who qualified for government recruitment exams have left for permanent positions with better pay and benefits. “Those who got government jobs earn much more and have stability,” a trainer said.
Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Responds
A senior official with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan acknowledged that vocational trainers are not permanent teachers and are employed through third-party agencies. They stated that salary payments depend on the release of scheme funds, and delays can occur.
The official added that recurrent delays are unusual. They promised to investigate the matter if complaints are received. However, trainers expressed that these assurances offer little immediate comfort. “We are only asking to be paid on time and treated with dignity,” one trainer concluded.