Shiksha Mitra are Warned NOT to PROTEST TET Exam and Appointment of TET Qualified candidates

ATET : Sarma warns against TET protests

Assam Teacher Eligibility Test News :
Guwahati, June 8: Dispur today issued a subtle warning to schoolteachers opposing the appointment of TET-qualified teachers by asking them to fall in line or see their institutions close down by January under the Right to Education (RTE) Act guidelines.

Education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said he saw no reason why siksha mitras in some areas should oppose the appointment of Teachers Eligibility Test-qualified teachers as the Supreme Court had ruled on May 8 that nobody could be appointed as teachers without qualifying TET after 2001.

Siksha mitras were appointed on contract basis by the Axom Sarba Siksha Abhijan to run centres under the education guarantee scheme and have been demanding regularisation of their services. There are now around 6,000 siksha mitras.

“Under the circumstances, regularising their services would be violating the court’s order and the RTE Act. If they can get a ruling in their favour, I will abide by it. But it is my humble submission that they allow the TET teachers to join or else we will have to issue a notification by January to close down schools violating RTE regulations. This opposition is inimical to the interests of students. We are going strictly by the RTE regulations,” Sarma said.

The minister was responding to protests in the rural and interior areas by teachers and local residents against TET-qualified teachers, a few of whom were injured in attacks in Karbi Anglong when they went to join duty. Nearly 1,500 of the 26,000 teachers who have been given appointment letters are yet to join duty because of the protests.


“I did not want to reveal this but a good many of those opposing the TET appointees are not even matriculates. But we are ready to hold a special TET for them since they are affected by the ongoing reforms. We are not for confrontation, we only want them to be reasonable,” Sarma said. He said preparations for holding TET for Madhyamik schools have started (see chart). Around 8,000 permanent and contractual teachers will be appointed to high and higher secondary schools. “The cabinet gave its approval yesterday. Though there are exemptions, those with MEd, BEd and BT degrees will get additional marks, as those with NCC certificates. Everything remaining equal, we could be the first state in the country to hold TET for Madhyamik,” he said.

The cabinet has also decided to extend the services of government teachers who bag national awards by two years and those who win state awards by one year. “The number of state awards will be restricted to 27 a year,” he added.

News Source : telegraphindia.com (8.6.12)