Hundreds from government aided non-minority schools may lose jobs

Hundreds of teachers serving in government aided non-minority schools in the State face the threat of losing their jobs with the School Education Department obtaining written undertakings from them stating that they would be removed from service if they failed to clear the mandatory Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) to be held on April 30.

The undertakings were being obtained by the Chief Educational Officers (CEOs) and District Educational Officers (DEOs) on the basis of a communication addressed to them by the Director of School Education (DSE) on March 1. The DSE had made it clear that the TET would be the last opportunity for the teachers to clear the test.

“Those who do not clear the TET shall be removed from service. This information shall be shared with all non-minority school teachers who had either not appeared or not cleared TET so far. They must be informed through the school managements and their acknowledgements must be obtained,” the DSE had said in his communication.

Section 23(1) of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act of 2009 had stipulated that the elementary and middle school teachers must possess certain minimum qualifications to be laid down by an academic authority authorised by the Centre. The legislation also gave five years’ time for those serving as teachers to acquire those qualifications.

Accordingly, the National Council of Teachers Education issued a notification on August 23, 2010, laying down the qualifications for appointment of teachers for Classes I to VIII. One of those qualifications was a pass in the TET to be conducted by the State Governments in accordance with guidelines framed by the council for the purpose.

The notification was followed by a Government Order issued by the State Government on November 15, 2011 for conducting TET through Teachers Recruitment Board. Subsequently, the test was conducted in 2012 and in 2013 before the issue got embroiled in legal proceedings due to multiple litigations.

Last year, the High Court held that teachers serving in schools run by religious and linguistic minorities need not appear for TET since the regulations framed under the RTE Act would not be applicable to them. However, a suggestion was made to the government to conduct refresher courses for those teachers during vacations.

Subsequently, disposing of another batch of cases related to non-minority school teachers who were appointed after the 2011 G.O., the High Court on January 24 this year referred to the failure of the government to conduct TET regularly, except on two occasions in 2012 and 2013, and directed the State to give them one more opportunity to clear TET.

Teachers question logic

A section of teachers has questioned the logic behind the State Government differentiating the teachers working in minority and non-minority schools on the TET mandate.to. The Government’s action was based on court rulings. “A Hindu teacher working in a minority school need not appear for TET whereas a Muslim or Christian teacher working in a non-minority school will have to clear the TET. How can this be justified?” asked a teacher. While the DSE’s communication insisted upon ousting teachers of government aided non-minority schools alone, it was conspicuously silent with respect to teachers of schools run by the government, Municipal Corporations, Panchayat Unions, the teacher said.

Stating that a representation had been made to the State Government for conducting refresher courses for all school teachers instead of forcing them to clear TET, a teacher from Virudhunagar district said: “We are now pinning hopes on the School Education Minister and the secretary of the department for finding a solution to the crisis.” He also pointed out that the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister had on March 22 approved an amendment to the RTE Act for extending the time limit up to March 31, 2019 for the teachers to acquire the prescribed qualifications.

“We hope the State Government would take note of the Centre’s latest decision and provide some relief to us,” he added.