JAMMU, Aug 26: The Jammu & Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF), affiliated with the All India Secondary Teachers Federation (AISTF), has urged the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to take immediate steps to address the issue of mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirements for serving teachers appointed before the applicability of the relevant Right to Education (RTE) and National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) framework in the region.
The Forum has demanded that the J&K Government introduce a Special Resolution in the J&K Legislative Assembly, on the lines of the resolution recently adopted by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, seeking appropriate relief and exemption for teachers appointed under the recruitment rules applicable at the time of their appointment.
According to the JKTF, teachers appointed in Jammu & Kashmir before October 31, 2019, should not be subjected retrospectively to a TET requirement that was not part of the recruitment conditions applicable to them when they entered government service.
The Forum pointed out that thousands of teachers have rendered several years of dedicated service to the education sector after being appointed through recruitment procedures and rules prevailing at the time. It maintained that imposing a new eligibility condition retrospectively has created uncertainty regarding their job security, promotions, seniority and other service benefits.
The JKTF appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister, Minister for School Education and all elected representatives to collectively take up the matter with the Government of India and seek appropriate legislative and policy intervention.
The Forum also demanded suitable amendments or clarifications in the Right to Education Act and the applicable NCTE framework to ensure that teachers appointed before the relevant cut-off date are protected from adverse consequences solely because they have not qualified the TET.
JKTF President Mohd Ashraf Sheikh said that the demand was not against professional standards or quality education, but against the retrospective imposition of a qualification requirement on teachers who were legally appointed under the recruitment rules existing at the time of their selection.
“Teachers who entered government service according to the rules applicable on the date of their appointment should not be made to suffer retrospectively. Their years of service, experience and job security must be protected,” he said.
The Forum further appealed to all political parties and Members of the J&K Legislative Assembly to rise above political considerations and support a unanimous Assembly Resolution in favour of the affected teachers.
The JKTF reiterated its core demands: no retrospective TET burden on serving teachers, protection of job security and service rights, and justice for J&K teachers.
The Forum expressed hope that the J&K Government would respond positively and take up the matter with the Union Government and other competent authorities on an urgent basis.