Jaipur, Nov.13,2025:Rajasthan Government Teachers Extra Classes have become the focal point of increasing tension in the state of Rajasthan. A directive by the government that all public school teachers take extra classes to complete the syllabus has drawn sharp criticism and raised multiple questions about feasibility, equity and education quality.
Background of the Directive
The state government under Bhajanlal Sharma (referred to here as “Bhajanl al government”) has decided to align the academic calendar for schools with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern, planning a session start date of 1 April in the upcoming year.
As part of this transition, the schedule for the mid-term or half-yearly examinations in grades 9 to 12 has been brought forward. As per the earlier calendar, examinations were slated from 12 to 23 December; now they are to be held between 20 November and 1 December.
This compression in schedule has triggered the directive: teachers across the board must conduct extra classes so that the syllabus can be completed within the shortened timeframe.
What the Order Says
- Teachers in all government schools in Rajasthan are instructed to take extra classes beyond the regular timetable, so that the syllabus for the current term is completed ahead of the newly scheduled examination window.
- The exam period has been moved up by about three weeks compared to prior years: from December to late November / early December.
- The official justification is that since the session is shifting to a 1 April start, all academic activities (units, syllabus completion, revision, and assessment) must be realigned accordingly. The Education Minister Madan Dilawar has been cited as saying the “re-scheduling” of academic activities requires the earlier exams and hence the extra workload on teachers.
Teacher Concerns and Grievances
Forced Extra Workload
Given the directive, many teachers feel they are being forced into extended hours without proportional compensation, support or adjustment of the syllabus. They argue that they must now cover the same (or large portions of the) syllabus in a much shorter time span.
Incomplete Syllabus & Quality Risk
According to departmental figures, for classes 9–12 approximately 23 lakh (2.3 million) students have courses that are still incomplete. Teachers claim that compressing the remaining syllabus into a shorter window threatens both teaching quality and student outcomes.
For instance, the President of the Rajasthan Primary & Secondary Teachers’ Association, Vipin Prakash Sharma, said that while previously term exams were in December, now they are in November, making timely completion very hard.
Teacher Shortages and Non-Teaching Duties
Another major point: in about 40% of schools in the state, there is a shortage of teachers because many have been assigned non-teaching tasks — especially to the “SIR” (Special Intensive Revision) programme. This reduces the effective teaching manpower available to cover the syllabus in the shorter timeframe.
Resistance to Syllabus Cut-back
Teacher organisations asked for at least a 20% reduction of the syllabus to make this early schedule feasible — but reports say that this demand was rejected by the government. This has added to their frustration.
Pressure on Students and Teachers
Teachers highlight that the early schedule and extra classes mean additional pressure not just on themselves, but also on students. Learning under time-crunch risks depth, understanding and internalisation — factors which are harder to measure but critical for long-term outcomes.
Impact on Students and Learning Quality
While the directive is aimed at aligning academic sessions and bringing reform, pushing exams earlier and requiring rapid syllabus completion may have unintended consequences-
- Hull-and-spoke coverage: Teachers may rush through topics, leading to shallow coverage and weaker foundations.
- Revision time reduced: With less time for revision or consolidation, students may go into exams under-prepared, undermining performance.
- Stress and burnout: For students and teachers alike, the compressed schedule increases workload, reducing opportunities for holistic learning, rest and reflection.
- Equity concerns: Students in under-resourced schools (teacher-shortage, infrastructure issues) may find it harder to keep pace under accelerated timelines, thereby widening the performance gap.
- Quality risk: As teachers warn, quality of teaching and learning might suffer — a risk long-term both to students and the reputation of the public education system.
Administrative Rationale and Government Response
From the government’s side-
- The move to a 1 April session start reflects an attempt to sync with CBSE or national academic calendars, possibly to standardise transitions and reduce out-of-sync schooling.
- The earlier exam schedule is part of “rescheduling” all academic activities to fit in the new beginning date. Minister Madan Dilawar has argued that to make a meaningful shift to 1 April, all preceding processes – syllabus completion, internal assessment, revision and exams – must be advanced.
- The government seems to expect that syllabus completion via extra classes is the pragmatic way to manage the transition rather than reduce content. The teacher organisations’ proposal of a 20% cut was not adopted.
- There are also reports that other reforms (such as school closures, mergers) are underway in the state under the same reform agenda. For example, more than 300 government schools have been set to close/merge in some districts.
Thus, from the administrative view, the directive is part of a larger restructuring rather than an isolated decision. However, the lack of parallel support (for teachers, resources, infrastructure) is what is triggering unrest.
Teacher Workload & Systemic Challenges
This specific directive — the Rajasthan Government Teachers Extra Classes order — is symptomatic of deeper structural issues in state education-
- Teacher vacancies and uneven distribution: As referenced, in many schools 40% of posts are unfilled or teachers diverted to non-teaching roles.
- Non-teaching assignments: Teachers participating in SIR programmes or other administrative tasks are removed from classroom teaching, reducing effective staff.
- Resource constraints: Schools with fewer resources face more difficulty in coping with accelerated timelines.
- Reform fatigue: A number of recent reforms (exam schedule changes, school mergers, syllabus adjustments) may create change overload for teachers and students.
- Equity gap: The pressure to complete the syllabus quickly might disproportionately hurt students from less-advantaged backgrounds.
- The directive also reflects the challenge of aligning state systems to national boards (CBSE) or modern calendar norms, without sufficient transitional infrastructure and support.
What Needs to Happen Next
For the “Rajasthan Government Teachers Extra Classes” directive to work without harming education quality, several supportive steps appear essential-
- Syllabus rationalisation: If timelines are compressed, the content load needs adjustment. Teacher unions’ demand for 20% reduction should be re-considered.
- Extra resources & support: Additional teaching staff, extended hours with compensation, training for accelerated teaching, and better infrastructure (remedial classes, revision support) are needed.
- Balanced scheduling: Ensure that extra classes do not lead to burnout or diminish pedagogy. Suffice time must be given for consolidation, enquiry-based learning rather than rote completion.
- Monitoring learning outcomes: Rigorous tracking of student performance should be embedded, to detect any drop in learning quality, especially for disadvantaged groups.
- Inclusive consultation: Engage teacher organisations, principals, students and parents in planning the transition, rather than imposing top-down decisions.
- Clear communication: Schools, teachers and students must be clearly informed about the schedule changes, expectations, support mechanisms, and resources available.
- Phased implementation: A gradual shift to 1 April start with pilot schools/test districts may help manage risk rather than abrupt statewide rollout.
- Teacher welfare: Address the extra demands on teachers — extended hours, tasks beyond regular teaching, remuneration, workload management — to maintain morale.
The directive for Rajasthan Government Teachers Extra Classes is an urgent administrative step aimed at aligning the state’s school system with a new academic calendar and expected national standards. However, the pivot has generated significant unease among the teaching workforce, and potentially threatens the quality of learning for students in the state.
