India is a country that places teachers next to God. The golden saying, “Acharya Devo Bhava,” stands true here even today. Coupled with the fact that the country faces a massive demand for teachers, opting for teaching as a career sounds opportune and exciting. People aspiring to be teachers see the lifelong association with young minds and knowledge as their biggest motivation. However, they also come across a major confusion at times - What is better? Teaching in a private school or Teaching in a government school?
Honestly, it is one of the longest ongoing debates for teachers. However, the education ecosystem in India is undergoing rapid development. Hence, it is tough to say which sector is better than the other. But isn’t Suraasa known to address the hard conversations to help the teachers’ community grow? So, here we are!
In this blog, we address the classic teaching in government school vs teaching in private school discussion by seeing it through the lenses of job responsibilities, teaching experience, and qualifications required. Read along to find out all this and more.
Let's explore some of the parallels involving teachers in private and public schools so that, by the end of this blog, you will know your true calling.
The minimum qualification to become a teacher, whether in a government or private school, is a Bachelor’s Degree with minimum 55% marks.
It is not compulsory for private school teachers to have a B.Ed degree. However, private and international schools often look for specific skills in teachers that match their standards of pedagogy. There are also some teaching qualifications like PgCTL that can help teachers acquire the latest teaching skills and are demanded in many top schools in India.
You should have a B.Ed, B.EL.ED or D.EL.ED to start teaching in a government school in India. Additionally, you also may have to qualify for compulsory eligibility tests like TET, or CTET, and other similar ones.
Today, even government schools expect their teachers to be up-to-date with modern teaching skills. Hence, teachers who have done courses like PgCTL have an extra edge to offer even in government schools.
Check Out: Hear for yourself how Vertika Mishra landed a promotion for headmistress after undergoing the PgCTL course.
To teach in the Secondary and Higher Secondary section, you must have a postgraduate degree in the particular subject. This is a common requirement for both private and government schools.
A teacher's job responsibilities are similar in both private and government sector schools. However, their nature can vary according to the set-up of the school. Here are a few of them along with how they can vary with different set-ups:
Private school teachers often have access to the latest tools and software to plan their lessons well ahead of time and in an effective manner.
For a long time, lesson planning in government schools was not a well-thought-out procedure. It was also a manual process. However, with the increased importance of improving the quality of education throughout the country, government school teachers are now using technological solutions to plan lessons.
Assessment and evaluation in private schools are a little rigorous in nature. There are frequent tests and also tests of different natures that evaluate the student according to their different abilities. Private school teachers use digital solutions for assessment as they conduct some of their examinations online.
Government school teachers are often seen following manual evaluation methods. However, several states are inclining towards introducing technology for assessment. The government is pushing forward the use of ICT or Information Communication Technology in education and is committed to increasing smart schools and classes.
Teachers of private schools, as well as government schools, need to take care of some administrative duties. So whether you join a private school or a government school, you will be handling tasks like record maintenance, organising important events, ensuring efficient communication with all the stakeholders, and other similar activities.
On-the-job experience is a crucial factor that helps aspiring teachers decide their true inclination. Here is a glimpse of what the experience of teaching feels like in a private school versus that of a private one.
Some Private schools and international schools are known to pay their teachers pretty well. According to this survey, if you join as a teacher in an international school in India, you may earn an annual income starting at INR 20 lakhs.
Watch Here: Suraasa trained teachers land jobs in the USA with salary packages as high as INR 64 lakhs per annum
Different state governments have different pay scales for their teachers. Some states, like Maharashtra offer a basic salary in the INR 9400- INR 34,800 range for primary and secondary teachers. A crucial point to keep in mind here is that as a government school employee, your salary will be up for revision with every new pay commission.
It’s very important to note that some private schools may offer starting salaries lower than those in government schools. If salary is a key factor for you, you would want to make sure that you are identifying the top schools near you which can pay you higher salaries.
Private school teachers have fewer days for vacation than their government counterparts. Moreover, even during the summer and winter holidays, you will be expected to come to school for a certain number of days to help with administrative duties and other similar functions.
Government teachers enjoy all the marked holidays on the official calendar. They also get the conventional 50 days of summer holidays along with a shorter winter break.
Resources here imply tools and assistance that teachers get to make learning interesting for their students. As a teacher in a private school, you will have access to learning software and a wide range of publications to refer to. You can use them to create an engaging experience for your students.
Government schools stick to books of their affiliated boards, and usually have less resources to refer to for teaching. However, here you can get creative and design simple learning tools to bring an equally impactful learning experience for your students.
Several state governments are doing a tremendous job in updating their schools and classrooms by bringing in the latest edu-tech solutions. The Delhi government is spearheading this by setting up smart classrooms that are powered with state-of-the-art technology. These classrooms have a wide range of online learning resources, cameras for live recording and smart boards as well.
Private schools are more competitive than government schools when it comes to the professional development of their teachers. They often charge higher fees to students as well, backed by the quality of teachers, so this becomes imperative for them. Therefore, you will be constantly encouraged to participate in training and upskilling. Private schools arrange training sessions for their teachers and motivate them to enrol in training courses at an individual level as well.
Government school teachers are usually trained by the DIETs (District Institute of Teacher Education), National Council for Teacher Education, and other relevant bodies. You may have to participate in such training sessions that are held periodically.
The job of a government school teacher is transferable. In fact, some states have made it compulsory for teachers to serve at a rural location for a minimum period. You may also be required to travel outside your job location to conduct examinations.
Private school teachers are not usually transferred from their location. However, if the school is a part of a larger chain, then there may be a possibility for that.
Nevertheless, as a school teacher, you may travel to other locations while escorting students to competitions or conferences, for both private and government schools.
As discussed in the introduction, both private and government schools come with their unique set of features. While some aspiring teachers opt for the job security of a government school, some others love the thrill and excitement of ultra-high salary packages and the opportunity of global interactions that a private school can bring. Whatever you pick, teaching is undoubtedly a delightful experience of constant learning and development.
I hope this blog helped you gain some insights into what you want your teaching career to look like. But if you are still feeling unsure, then do not hesitate to talk to a Suraasa mentor here and achieve the teaching career of your dreams.
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