Left in 'cold', protesting teachers stare at uncertain future, want Chhattisgarh govt to step in

Raipur: Hundreds of assistant teachers, facing an uncertain future after their services were terminated by the Chhattisgarh administration, have made Tuta village near Raipur city, their 'home' for nearly a month, protesting in cold weather urging government to revisit its decision.

These teachers, armed with BEd (Bachelor of Education) degrees, were terminated from state government service following a court order and are protesting at the village, which has a designated agitation site, since December 19 to get their jobs back and bring life on track.

The government has terminated the services of more than 28,00 assistant teachers posted in primary schools in compliance with a Chhattisgarh High Court order dated April 2, 2024.

"Why is the state government playing with our lives? What is our fault? We got jobs on the basis of merit. The government should think about the families of around 3,000 assistant teachers," Abhishek Chaturvedi (25), one of the protesters who has lost his job, told PTI at the site on Tuesday.

Chaturvedi, a resident of Bilaspur district, quit his job as a special educator with Samgra Shiksha scheme in Dantewada district after he was selected as an assistant teacher. He joined a school in Kanker district, seeking to start a new life, but his joy of bagging a government job was short-lived.

The issue pertains to a notification of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) which was quashed by the Rajasthan High Court in 2021.

On June 28, 2018, the NCTE, a statutory body of the Centre, had issued a notification stating BEd degree holders were eligible for appointment as primary schoolteachers (Class I to V) for which only DEd (Diploma in Education) or D.El.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) holders were eligible earlier.

Based on this notification, the Chhattisgarh school education department had issued a notification including BEd degree as a qualification for appointment to post of assistant teachers in the state.

While hearing a case pertaining to appointment of primary teachers in Rajasthan, the HC of that state quashed the 2018 NCTE notification in 2021, holding BEd candidates were "unqualified" for the post of primary schoolteachers.

The matter later went to the Supreme Court, which on August 11, 2023, upheld the Rajasthan HC order quashing the 2018 NCTE notification. The SC, however, had clarified that BEd qualified teachers appointed prior to its judgement will not be affected.

Meanwhile, on May 4, 2023, the Chhattisgarh government published an advertisement for vacant posts of primary schoolteachers in which candidates with both BEd and DEd qualifications were invited in the selection process.

On June 10, 2023, examinations were conducted and next month results were declared. The appointments of selected teachers started in September 2023. However, DEd qualified candidates approached the Chhattisgarh HC challenging the appointment of BEd degree holders as primary schoolteachers.

On April 2 last year, the Chhattisgarh HC held the prescription of qualification of BEd as eligible qualification for the post of Assistant Teacher (Class I to V) as "illegal" and quashed the appointment of such teachers.

On December 10 last year, the Chhattisgarh HC, ruling in a contempt case stemming from non-implementation of its order dated April 2, 2024, granted the government "two weeks" for compliance.

Over the last two weeks, the government has terminated the services of assistant teachers. On January 3, however, it formed a committee headed by the Chief Secretary to look into the demands of these teachers which includes their absorption to vacant posts in the education department.

"We had applied for the posts based on the government notification. The SC had said those appointments made prior to its judgement (August 11, 2023) will not be affected. Though our appointments were made after August 11, 2023, we cleared the exam held in June 2023. The SC should have considered the notification date not the appointment date," aggrieved teacher Chaturvedi maintained.

Counselling for appointments was held four times -- twice during the previous Congress government and as many times during the current BJP dispensation, he pointed out.

Similar cases happened with appointment of BEd qualified primary teachers in MP, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and other states, but the respective governments protected them, Chaturvedi said and asked "Why is the Chhattisgarh government ignoring us." The state government has terminated the services of 2,896 assistant teachers, most of them posted in tribal dominated Surguja and Bastar divisions, he said.

Many of them had joined after quitting their earlier jobs, including government ones. Many had taken loans and got got married after bagging this government job, according to Chaturvedi.

"There are more than 50,000 vacant posts of teacher in the state. The state government should absorb us on those posts," he demanded.

Another protester, Gayantri Devi Minj (42), who had joined a school in Jashpur district, said she quit her job as a contractual educator in a government school in Balrampur after she was selected as permanent assistant teacher.

"My husband and in-laws are farmers. Only I had a government job in the family. I have two kids and am sitting in protest for a month with my two-year-old son as I can't leave him at home. His birthday is on January 15, but I can't celebrate it. I was devastated when I got the termination letter," she said.

"The government should find a way out and ensure we retain our jobs," Minj pleaded.