Thousands of undergraduate SSA teachers in despair awaiting regularisation

Thousands of SSA teachers in J&K are in despair awaiting formal orders for regularisation of their services and adjustment against substantive posts in the education department, despite recent approval from the state administration council.

Around 7700 undergraduate teachers have been left out by the governor administration after it recently issued formal orders for regularisation of graduate SSA teachers, identification of permanent RMSA masters and head-teachers.

   

Recently, the government accorded sanction to creation of teacher grade-II cadre with effect from September 2018 in the school education department on the conditions that the posts shall be filled up to 100 percent by selection out of regularised Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers with a graduate degree from a recognised university.

The order was issued in wake of the State Administrative Council (SAC) decision wherein the administration decided to adjust the SSA teachers on substantive posts in the department and de-link their salary from the union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

The government has also accorded sanction for the creation of 28363 existing and anticipated vacant posts of General Line Teachers (GLTs) to the equivalent number of posts of Grade-II teachers. The government also approved conversion of 4522 direct quota of non-teaching posts in different categories to an equivalent number of posts of teachers- Grade II.

The decision was taken on the recommendations put forth by a five-member committee in December to regularise services of SSA teachers. 

On December 25, the government extended the tenure of the same committee by one month entrusting it to examine the issue of undergraduate teachers for regularisation in the department.

“One month has passed but the committee is yet to submit its action plan for undergraduate teachers,” said Gowhar, a teacher from Kupwara district.

The committee comprises administrative secretary finance department as its chairman while administrative secretary planning and development department, administrative secretary higher education department, administrative secretary GAD are its members and administrative secretary school education department will be the members’ secretary of the committee.

The under graduate teachers have also questioned the government for delaying their regularisation citing a large chunk of 10+2 qualified candidates were already working in the education department for decades. 

“We are working in the department from past more than one decade and now the department has set eligibility criteria for our adjustment in the department which is uncalled for,” he said.

The SSA undergraduate teachers said the department has an army of 10+2 General Line Teachers (GLTs) in the department who are getting all service benefits like other state government employees.

“Most of the undergraduate SSA teachers are at the verge of retirement and it is not possible for us to go for three years graduation course,” said a teacher among a group of undergraduate SSA teachers.

Secretary school education department, Ajit Kumar Sahu said as per National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines, every teacher should be trained in the department for which the department was trying to help the teachers opt for B.Ed or D.Ed course.

“A committee is already examining the issue of undergraduate SSA teachers and we will see how we can regularise them. Committee has to take a final decision,” Sahu said.

“We will listen to the issues of under graduate teachers and find a viable solution to their grievance.”

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