SIR Duty Leaves Mumbai Civic Schools Short of Teachers, Students Bear the Brunt

Mumbai: The deployment of teachers for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duties has led to a severe shortage of teaching staff in several Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Marathi-medium schools, raising concerns over the quality of education and learning outcomes.

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With a large number of teachers assigned to SIR-related work, many schools are struggling to conduct regular classes. In several cases, a single teacher has been left to manage multiple grades, placing additional pressure on the existing staff and affecting students’ academic progress.

The BMC Education Department has introduced several initiatives to improve educational standards over the years. However, many Marathi-medium schools continue to face a shortage of teachers, and the ongoing recruitment process has not yet been completed. As a result, schools are already functioning with limited staff.

The situation has worsened as teachers are frequently required to leave classrooms for SIR duties, reducing instructional time for students. Teachers say this is particularly affecting primary school children, whose foundational learning depends on consistent classroom teaching.

The issue has also sparked widespread dissatisfaction among teachers. They recently staged a protest at Azad Maidan, alleging that SIR duties were being imposed on them despite existing staff shortages and the resulting impact on education.

Several schools have reported serious staffing challenges. At Chunabhatti Municipal Marathi School No. 2, two of the three teachers have been assigned Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties under the SIR programme, leaving only the head teacher to manage classes. At Tilak Marg Marathi School, one of the two teachers has been deployed for SIR work, increasing the workload on the remaining teacher.

A similar situation exists at MPS Eksar Talepakhadi Marathi School, where only one of the two teachers is available for teaching. At Sanjay Nagar Marathi School, two out of three teachers have been assigned SIR duties, leaving just one teacher to handle students.

Teachers have warned that the additional responsibilities are not only affecting students’ education but are also putting considerable mental and professional pressure on the remaining staff. They argue that the beginning of the academic year is crucial for building a strong learning foundation, and assigning teachers to non-academic work during this period makes it difficult to complete the syllabus on time.

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