SRINAGAR, Sept 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to exempt teachers appointed before October 31, 2019 from appearing in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
Minister for School Education Sakeena Itoo moved the resolution, which sought an amendment to Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, to provide the exemption.
“This House unanimously urges the Union Government to make necessary statutory amendment to Section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, to exempt all teachers appointed before October 31, 2019 from appearing in the TET,” the resolution stated.
It also urged the Centre to take necessary legal steps and issue the requisite notification through the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) for the exemption.
The resolution was moved earlier in the week but was deferred until Thursday after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said several MLAs wanted to participate in the discussion.
During the debate, ruling National Conference MLA Farooq Shah supported the exemption for teachers who had been serving for several years, while suggesting that fresh recruits should undergo the examination. He, however, stressed the need for regular training of teachers and called for establishing and strengthening District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) centres in every constituency.
Another NC MLA, Nazir Gurezi, also supported the resolution and said teachers should be given due recognition for their role in shaping students who later become doctors, engineers and IAS officers.
Itoo thanked members for supporting the resolution and said Jammu and Kashmir would become the second State/UT to pass such a resolution.
“We have to place before the Union Government that we cannot support any infringement of teachers’ dignity,” she said, adding that the Government was not opposed to teachers writing examinations but did not want long-serving teachers to be asked to prove their worth through a test.
The Minister said the J&K Government had already approached the Supreme Court on the issue and appealed to BJP members to urge the Centre to convey to the apex court that the matter concerned the dignity of teachers.
Following the discussion, Speaker Rather put the resolution to a voice vote, after which it was passed unanimously.