The recent decision to make a qualification exam mandatory for appointed teachers in Bihar has sparked dissent among educators. The departmental committee convened on Saturday under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary K.K. Pathak has reached a resolution on this matter, which is now being sent to the state government for approval.
According to the decision, teachers deployed in Bihar must pass this qualification exam, and they are allowed three attempts to do so. Failure to pass the exam in these three attempts will result in the loss of their job, as the government is prepared to dismiss such educators. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has expressed his views on the issue.
Teacher Unions Protest Decision
Teacher unions are actively opposing the mandatory qualification exam for appointed teachers in Bihar. The emergency meeting of the federated unions is taking place on Sunday at Kedar Bhavan in Patna. Anand Kaushal Singh, the State President of the Bihar Panchayat Nagar Primary Teachers’ Union, stated that the government is treating appointed teachers unfairly and emphasized that such behavior will not be tolerated.
He asserted that the teacher organizations in Bihar are uniting in Patna to form a collective front against the government’s actions. Singh mentioned their plans to stage a strong protest from the streets to the legislative assembly. The government will face fierce opposition from the road to the assembly.
Opposition to Three Attempts Rule
The leader of the teacher unions criticized the stipulation of three attempts to pass the exam, insisting on granting state employee status without conditions. He deemed this new rule arbitrary and conveyed their plan to challenge it in the judiciary and stage a major demonstration during the budget session.
Kaushal argued that the established rules for a 60-year-long job cannot be altered arbitrarily and insisted on a fair resolution to the matter.
Government’s Stand on the Issue
In response to the discontent expressed by teacher unions, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary stated that discussions would be held with the unions, taking into account both quality and quantity. He emphasized the importance of considering the future of Bihar’s children and assured that dialogue with the teacher unions would explore possible solutions to the situation.