Only 500 of 8,886 teachers accept offer for regularisation

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, October 18

The claim regarding 94 per cent teachers showing their willingness to accept the new offer has landed the Punjab government in an embarrassing situation. As per the record, till today, only 500 out of the 8,886 teachers in the state have accepted regularisation. 

On October 9, the Education Department had opened an online portal for 15 days wherein teachers were given options to either continue with the current set up or accept regularisation of their services on a monthly salary of Rs 15,300. 

Earlier, the Education Department had claimed that 94 per cent teachers recruited under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), Adarsh Schools, and model schools had shown willingness to accept the offer. However, the Education Department is tightlipped about the total numbers of teachers, who have accepted regularisation of their services.

In order to prove earlier claims, the Education Department reportedly was luring teachers by offering them stations of their choice and cutting down the probation period to two and a half years from the present three years. As per the offer, the Education Department would regularise services of those teachers with effect from April 1, 2018, who give their consent within 15 days. Some protesting teachers on the other hand said they would not accept the offer at any cost.

MHRD notifications overlooked: Teachers

“In a letter dated March 4, 2013, to the then state project director, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has clearly directed the Punjab government that recruiting teachers under the SSA is erroneous and they should be considered under the state government,” said Hardeep Todarpur, co-convener, Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha.

“The Punjab government is trying to misinform people of the state by saying that we (teachers) are ready to accept regularisation. Another letter dated April 5, 2018, to all Education Secretaries of the states and the UTs clearly mention that there will be no separate cadre of SSA teachers because all teachers are ultimately the responsibility of the state government,” said Harjeet Singh, a teacher.  

Meanwhile, teachers alleged that the Punjab government was on the back foot as the MHRD had warned them that all schemes would be de-linked if they did not regularise teachers under the state government.