Teachers' Union Calls for Urgent Government Intervention on TET Mandate
The All India Joint Action Committee of Teachers' Organisations (AIJACTO) has made a fervent appeal to the central government to take immediate action regarding a recent Supreme Court judgment. This ruling mandates that all teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act must pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within a strict two-year timeframe or face termination from their positions.
Widespread Impact and Urgent Demands
This landmark decision is projected to affect an estimated 30 lakh teachers across the entire nation, creating significant uncertainty within the education sector. On Friday, a delegation from AIJACTO met with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Parliament to formally submit a memorandum detailing their critical demands.
The committee has strongly emphasized that the government must protect the employment of senior and experienced teachers, even if achieving this goal requires introducing legislative amendments. Furthermore, the delegation has called for specific relaxations in both the TET syllabus and the qualifying marks to better accommodate the circumstances of the educators impacted by this ruling.
Mounting Distress and Broader Concerns
"Six months have already elapsed since the Supreme Court delivered its judgment, leaving countless teachers in a state of profound mental distress and anxiety," stated Chava Ravi, a government teacher. He highlighted that thousands of educators from various states recently gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to stage a peaceful dharna, underscoring the widespread concern.
Ravi urged the authorities to make a decisive ruling without any further delay to provide much-needed relief to the teaching community. The delegation's discussions with the minister also encompassed several other pressing issues facing educators today.
- The complete abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).
- Ensuring the provision of minimum wages for contract-based educational employees.
- Repealing specific provisions within the National Education Policy that the union believes are detrimental to the public education system.
Seeking Cross-Party Support
In a strategic move to garner broader political backing, the AIJACTO delegation also met with Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on the Parliament premises. This meeting aimed to highlight the non-partisan nature of the teachers' concerns and to seek support across the political spectrum for addressing what they describe as a critical national issue affecting the foundation of India's education system.
