The Uttarakhand Federation of Shiksha Mitras has decided to challenge the decision of Uttarakhand High Court which cancelled the relaxation of clearing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) given to the Shiksha Mitras (SM) by the State Government. The HC's decision puts a question mark on the fate of 3,652 SMs who were hoping to be adjusted in the Primary teacher cadre of the State Government.
On Tuesday, the bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, while hearing a petition, ordered that the relaxation of clearing the TET given to SMs by the State Government is unconstitutional.The HC said that as per the provision of Right to Education (RTE) Act passing the TET examination is mandatory to be eligible for being teacher. The court also asked the state government to conduct the TET every three months.
The spokesperson of the Federation of SMs, Dipak Joshi said that the federation would challenge the HC order in the double bench.He said that the provision of TET was implemented in the year 2010 but the SMs were engaged in the primary schools of the state in the year 2001. Joshi said that the SMs were employed in the remote and inaccessible areas of the state and they have done a commendable job as teachers.
The HCs decision to cancel the waiver of passing the TET has put a spanner in the education department's process of adjusting the Shiksha Mitras in the Primary teacher cadre. These SMs are worried as most of them have passed the age of giving a competitive examination.The Shiksha Mitras were appointed as ad hoc teachers in the Government primary schools on a monthly stipend of Rupees 13000.
To get their services regularized the federation undertook a long agitation that they should be absorbed in the Primary teacher cadre without the required qualification of TET level I.On the request of the State Government the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) gave its approval for adjusting them as primary teachers without TET level I in March 2014.
There are 1278 Shiksha Mitras who are Basic Teaching Certificate (BTC) qualified and 2374 SMs who are undergoing Diploma in Elementary Education (D El Ed) course under the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).In March 2014 a cabinet sub committee headed by Cabinet minister Indira Hridayesh recommended for amendment in the Primary teacher's service rules to adjust these Shiksha Mitras.
The Government planed to induct 1278 BTC qualified SMs as Primary teachers in first phase.