Rural teachers struggle with additional duties like Aadhaar verification and bank account management for students, a burden they argue should fall on parents
Education Minister Dada Bhuse (centre) at the teachers workshop in Igatpuri
School Education Minister Dada Bhuse assured on Monday that the number of non-academic tasks assigned to teachers would be significantly reduced in the coming days. He made this announcement during a one-day educational development workshop in Igatpuri, attended by teachers from across Maharashtra.
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For years, teachers have protested against being assigned non-academic duties, arguing that such responsibilities take away valuable time from their primary role. Addressing these concerns, Bhuse said, “Teachers’ extra-curricular and non-academic activities will be reduced by half in the future. Additionally, the government is considering merging all school committees into a single active committee to streamline administrative work.”
Mahendra Ganpule, school principals’ body; (right) Vijay Kombey, president, Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Committee
He encouraged teachers to enhance the quality of Marathi-medium schools. “Teachers should work in such a way that, in the future, students from English-medium schools would seek admission to Marathi-medium schools,” Bhuse said.
Teachers and schools react
Vijay Kombey, state president of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers Committee, said, “Many of these tasks, such as submitting various reports to the education department, are unrelated to teaching and consume valuable instructional time. Teachers are already stretched thin with their core responsibilities. We appreciate the minister’s assurance but urge swift implementation, especially with exams and evaluation duties approaching. Even reducing such tasks to once a month or fortnight would bring significant relief, as it is not feasible for teachers to handle these duties daily.”
Mahendra Ganpule, state spokesperson for the Maharashtra School Principals’ Association, said, “At times, 50 to 60 per cent of a school’s staff is occupied with non-academic duties. In rural areas, teachers are often required to verify students’ Aadhaar cards at different centres and manage their bank accounts—tasks that ideally should be handled by parents. However, due to the need for maintaining and updating student records, teachers are forced to take on these responsibilities. We are glad that these concerns are now being addressed by the the new education minister.”
What the RTE Act says?
At the heart of this issue lies Sections 25 and 27 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which prohibit assigning teachers non-academic tasks except for specific duties, which include decennial population census, disaster relief and elections to parliament, state legislatures, and local bodies.
State-appointed committee
In January 2024, a committee appointed by the Maharashtra government submitted a detailed report addressing concerns over non-academic tasks assigned to teachers. It recommends that teachers focus only on education-related duties and proposes a separate system to oversee school nutrition records.
This initiative arose from objections to teachers being overburdened with administrative work, reports, and surveys. Teacher unions strongly opposed these duties, arguing they hinder academic work. They even boycotted the illiteracy survey under the Nav Bharat Saksharta Abhiyan, affecting its implementation.
In response, a committee led by the principal secretary of the education department was formed. The report, recently presented in the legislative session, outlines key recommendations to address these concerns.
. Exclusivity to the Education Department: Except for assignments related to elections and the national census, teachers should not be encumbered with tasks from other government departments. The primary focus should be on educationally necessary work.
. Separate system for school nutrition records: The committee advocates for the establishment of a dedicated system to manage school nutrition records. This recommendation aims to streamline administrative processes and ensure the efficient handling of vital data.
Non-academic tasks imposed on teachers
Online Tasks:
. Mid-Day Meal (MDM): Daily data entry and payment updates
. Student portal: Admission, promotions, document uploads, and details like marks, parent information, bank details
. School and staff portal management
. School achievement: Updating 46 core standards in 7 domains, submitting evidence and hard copies to authorities
. Swachh Vidyalaya Award: Uploading 10 proof photos, filling forms, and regular updates
Mahadbt: Uploading Aadhaar, bank passbooks for student scholarships
Offline Tasks:
. Census, out-of-school survey, Aadhaar updates
. Election duties as Booth Level Officer—voter registration, awareness
. School deworming campaign, Swachhta Mission, toilet awareness
. Participation in the economic survey
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