Veteran educators in Punjab are up in arms against a recent state government directive that mandates them to undergo a costly bridge course, a move they describe as unjustified harassment. The Punjab Education Department has issued an order requiring head teachers and centre head teachers, who were regularised based on their extensive experience, to complete a six-month course costing Rs 25,000 through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Unions Decry 'Illogical' Mandate for Veteran Educators
The directive primarily affects hundreds of teachers who were initially recruited as education providers on a contract basis under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) during 2005–06. These educators, possessing 15 to 20 years of continuous teaching experience, were later regularised as head teachers in 2018-19 after their qualifications and service were assessed.
Condemning the order, Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) state president Digvijaypal Sharma stated that forcing such seasoned professionals to take a bridge course is completely illogical. "These teachers have been teaching for nearly two decades. Their regularisation itself was done strictly as per rules. Forcing them to undergo a bridge course now is unjustified and unacceptable," Sharma asserted.
The union has highlighted that December 25, 2025, is the final date for registration on the NIOS website. While conducted via distance education, the course includes mandatory physical examinations, adding to the logistical burden on the teachers.
A History of Free Training vs. Current High Fees
Teacher leaders have pointed out a stark contrast with past practices. DTF assistant secretary Rajwinder Singh Behniwal recalled a similar situation a few years ago. "In 2010–11, nearly 1,273 teachers were regularised based on experience. They were later asked to undergo a course through the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) after 2017, but that course was completely free of cost," he explained.
Behniwal criticized the current fee of Rs 25,000 as excessive and argued that the state government should have advocated for these experienced teachers with the central government instead of enforcing this costly mandate. "The state could have got the course done via DIET, as it was done for many other teachers," he added.
DTF state secretary Resham Singh Khemuana emphasized that the teachers fulfilled all requirements at the time of their recruitment and regularisation. "Now, almost six years after their regular appointment, they are being ordered to complete a bridge course. This is nothing but harassment of teachers," Khemuana stated.
Threat of Statewide Agitation and Legal Context
The growing discontent has led to a stern warning from the teachers' unions. DTF leaders, including senior vice-president Sarwan Singh Aujla and others, have jointly declared that educators are being harassed by one order after another, diverting their focus from teaching to protests.
They have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the order and threatened to launch a widespread statewide agitation if the government does not roll back its decision.
The bridge course requirement stems from revised teacher qualification norms framed by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and a subsequent Supreme Court directive. In an April 2024 judgment, the Supreme Court allowed in-service teachers appointed during a rules transition period to continue, subject to completing a prescribed bridge course to address pedagogical gaps for primary education.
While not applicable to fresh recruits, failure to complete this six-month certificate course within the stipulated time could render a teacher's appointment non-compliant with national norms, adding pressure on the experienced educators in Punjab to comply despite their objections.
