In a major step to tackle the acute shortage of teachers in secondary schools, the Odisha government has approved the appointment of 5,740 retired teachers as guest teachers for the 2026-27 academic year.
The decision covers government, fully aided, and block grant high schools as well as Sanskrit tol institutions across the state. Additional Secretary of the School and Mass Education Department, Girish Chandra Singh, has written to the Director of Secondary Education conveying the approval and detailed guidelines.
These guest teachers will be engaged only against vacancies reported by the Director of Secondary Education. District Education Officers (DEOs) will make the appointments strictly within the sanctioned vacant posts, prioritising schools with the most critical shortages. Final approval from the respective District Collectors is mandatory before appointments are confirmed.
The tenure of these guest teachers will automatically end either when regular teachers join the schools or at the conclusion of the 2026-27 academic session, whichever comes earlier. If newly recruited TGT teachers join a particular school, the guest teachers in that institution will be relieved. However, they may be re-engaged in other schools that still have reported vacancies, subject to the same restrictions.
For Sanskrit tol schools, retired teachers with ISCT and Matric-CT qualifications may also be considered. The entire process will follow the department’s existing guidelines for guest teacher appointments. All related expenditure will be met from the approved budget under the Establishment and Other Maintenance (EOM) head, with the concurrence of the Finance Department already secured.
The Director of Secondary Education has been directed to take immediate necessary steps and submit regular progress reports on the appointments.
This initiative is expected to ensure continuity of teaching in schools facing staff shortages and provide experienced educators an opportunity to continue contributing to the education system.
