Dear Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would like to appeal to the Government of Arunachal Pradesh under the dynamic and able leadership of Chief Minister Pema Khandu to regularize the SSA contractual teachers having requisite qualifications.
According to RTE Act-2009, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) vide its notification dated 23rd August’2010 has laid down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher (Class I to VIII). One of the most essential qualifications of this Act was that a person to be appointed as teacher has to pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) which is mandatory, to be conducted by the appropriate Government.
Consequent upon the guidelines and notification of NCTE, the government of Arunachal Pradesh vide notification dated 6th March’ 2012 has made it compulsory that a person who aspires to become a teacher in Elementary Education has to pass the Arunachal Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test ( APTET).
Again, on 4th January’2013, NCTE has written a letter to all the states and Union Territories to adhere to the provisions of NCTE Regulations in recruitment of teachers in Elementary Education. Letter further reads ‘ They (states/UTs) are granting relaxation in stipulated qualifications without the prior approval of NCTE or Central Government which resulted in affected candidates filing court cases, wherein NCTE is also a respondent
Supreme Court in July 2017 has quashed/cancelled the appointment of 1.78 lakh teachers in Uttar Pradesh who were appointed without having requisite qualification (TET). These teachers were appointed as Shiksha Mitras by Uttar Pradesh Government in 1999, the regularization process was initiated in 2012 by Samajwadi Government. In 2014, the state also amended the teaching rules to not require qualifications of TET and passed the resolution which confirmed the assimilate of Shiksha Mitras as Assistant Teachers. SC in its ruling says, the regularization of job was against the fundamental right of the children to get quality education. It further says ” it may be permissible to give some weightage to experience of Shiksha Mitras or some age relaxation , mandatory qualification cannot be dispensed with. Regularization of Shiksha Mitras as teachers was not permissible.” It is also clearly said that the State is not competent to relax the qualifications.
Mitali Namchoom, the then Special Secretary (Education) has made it clear before the members of AASSATA in her press statement on 22nd November’2017 that the service of SSA contractual teachers shall be regularized provided he/she possesses the TET Certificates. She further said that the department shall strictly follow the norms and rules laid down by the MHRD and the Recruitment Rules, to which the department is “legally bound”.
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, on 21st June’ 2017, the Chief Minister made an announcement to regularize in- servce SSA teachers having TET qualification so as to impart quality education to the teachers. This announcement received applause from certain quarters particularly AAPSU, the apex students’ organisation of the state.
So, I urge the people of Arunachal Pradesh to support the decision of Hon’ble Chief Minister in his endeavour to bring quality education in the state.
It is heard that some organisations are playing “emotional card” with Government of Arunachal Pradesh to grant relaxation in regularization process by citing the age-factor. They are desperately applying every trick to make the Government in their side.
I appeal to Chief Minister not to succumb to emotion rather focus on his Government’s theme: New Arunachal.
It is also heard that the regularization process of SSA teachers is being done in the department of Elementary Education and DPC for same is likely to be conducted in the month of March 2018. If such file is being processed, I request the Hon’ble Minister (Education) and Secretary (Education ) to kindly look into the matter seriously and take immediate step to stop the proposed DPC.
Yours,
A qualified teacher