HC stays order on primary teachers

TT, Calcutta: Justice Arijit Banerjee of Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed till December 18 a six month old notification of a national council that allowed candidates with the BEd degree to teach at the primary level..

Earlier, only candidates with a diploma in elementary education were considered eligible to teach students from Class I to V. On June 28, the National Council for Teacher Education amended the relevant rule,making candidates with the BEd degree eligible for the job..

Only those with the diploma and not the ones with the BEd degree could appear in the teacher eligibility test (primary)..

Mahibur Rahman and 54 others, all of whom have a diploma in elementary education, had moved the high court challenging the council's June28 order..

The petitioners submitted that the candidates with the diploma would be at a disadvantage if the ones with the BEd degree were allowed to apply for the job of a primary school teacher. They sought an order barring BEd candidates from writing the teacher eligibility test (primary)..

After hearing the case on Wednesday, Justice Banerjee said the council's notification would not come into effect till the final hearing is held on December 18..

“ Since the advocate who appeared on behalf of the NCTE (the council) submitted before this court that many similar petitions are pending,this court is issuing an interim order of injunction on the NCTE notification dated June 28 till December 18, ” Justice Banerjee ruled.

Senior lawyer Shaktinath Mukherjee, who represented the petitioners, submitted before the judge: “Job opportunities for diploma candidates have decreased after the NCTE notification. The BEd candidates can teach from VI to XII but the diploma holders are only eligible to teach from Class from I to V.”Souvik Nandi, who appeared for the council, submitted:“ The NCTE notification of June 28 will not be implemented till December 18.”He added that the council was mulling to revive the decision that only diploma holders would be eligible to teach at the primary level.

The council's notification had said that all BEd candidates who would be selected for teaching at the primary level would have to undergo as ix-month course in elementary education within two years of their appointment.