Teachers’ regularisation depends on apex court verdict, says minister

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 16

Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj today said the regularisation of contractual services of almost 11,035 para and PAT teachers would be subject to the outcome of three petitions pending before the Supreme Court.

Replying to a query raised by Rakesh Singha, Asha Kumari and Vikramaditya Singh, he said the government would be bound by the decision of the court. “We have given all financial benefits to these teachers short of regularisation,” he said.

Bhardwaj said though policies had been made for all categories of teachers appointed on a contractual basis, which specified their salaries and appointment rules, those were silent on their regularisation.

The contractual teachers included 1,339 PTA teachers, 6,061 government and 3,417 JBT teachers working as PAT teachers.

Replying to another query, the minister said the government was contemplating starting the examination system for classes V and VIII after the recent changes in the Section 16 of the Right to Education Act, 2009.

Replying to a query by Inder Singh, he said after the recent amendment to the Act, the state government would take a decision in this regard before the start of the next academic session. “There is also a provision that students will be made to take the examination two months after failing and in case he or she still fails to clear the exam, the government will decide whether to detain the student in the same class or promote him/her,” he said.