Relative effectiveness of “General line teachers” and “Rehbar-e-talim teachers” in Jammu and Kashmir

Since the implementation of the Rehbar-e-Talim scheme (para teacher scheme) in the Jammu and Kashmir state in the year 2000, the main focus of the government has remained on the engagement of these ReT teachers at elementary level by cutting out costs. Although, the hiring conditions, tenure and remuneration of these teachers vary from General line teachers, the use of Rehbar-e-Talim teachers (para-teachers) has sparked debate about their impact on the quality of education. In this paper an attempt has been made to know the relative effectiveness of General line teachers and Rehbar-e-Talim teachers having different terms and conditions for engagement at elementary level. The study finds that the Rehbar-e-Talim teachers (para teachers) overall perform better than the General line teachers. This may be due to the higher qualification of these teachers, accountability pressure from locals like members of VEC or due to congenial relationship with students for being locals.