UP government has announced Rs 10, 000 monthly honorariums for the 1.78 lakh Shiksha Mitr (para teachers) agitating for their regularization of services as assistant teachers. The Supreme Court on July 25 had quashed the appointment of the para teachers as assistant teachers drawing regular pay scale as per the seventh pay commission.
The state government said in compliance of the Supreme Court verdict, all the para teachers whose services were absorbed as assistant teachers will be reverted back as Para teachers with effect from August 1. The para teachers have also been given the option to join their teaching duty at the school where they were posted on the day of the Supreme Court’s order or join at the original place of posting at the time of their appointment as para teacher.
The state government on Monday also announced to give one more opportunity to the para teachers for their appointment as assistant teachers. The government has decided to amend the `UP basic education (teachers) rules 1981 and issue advertisement for the appointment of para teachers to the post of assistant teachers. The government has also relaxed the rules for giving weightage to marks obtained in teacher’s eligibility test.
The government in October next will hold the examination of teacher eligibility test (TET) for the para teachers. After the test the vacancies in the primary schools run by the basic education board will be advertised in December. All the eligible candidates will be given the opportunity to apply for the post of assistant teacher. The order issued on Monday said till this process is completed all para teachers will be paid monthly honorarium of Rs 10,000.
If they qualify then the para teachers will be appointed as assistant teacher with regular pay scale as per the seventh pay commission which they were getting prior to the Supreme Court order on July 25.
The Supreme Court in its order on July 25 had said that the para teachers ought to be given opportunity to be considered for recruitment if they have acquired or they now acquire the requisite qualification. They may also be given suitable age relaxation and some weightage for their experience as may be decided by the concerned authority. Till they avail of this opportunity. The court had said that the state government is at liberty to continue them as para teachers on same terms on which they were working prior to their absorption.
Ever since the Supreme Court orders the para teachers are on the war path and stopped attending the schools. The previous Samajwadi party considering the long standing demand of the para teachers for the regularization of their services as assistant teacher had regularized the jobs of 1.78 lakh teachers as teachers in primary schools. The Supreme Court on July 25 quashed the order, suggesting that the appointment is not validated as many do not have the pre-requisite qualifications as laid down by the Centre under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.