More than 13000 Special Basic Teaching Certificate (BTC) teachers of Uttarakhand are now pinning their hopes on the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand to solve the fiasco associated with recognition of their degrees.
On Sunday, a delegation of these teachers met the CM and apprised him of the situation. The leader of the delegation and President of the Dehradun unit of Prathemik Shikshak Sangh (PSS), Virendra Singh Krishali said that the CM assured that he would take up the matter with the Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar soon.
“CM would probably meet the Union HRD Minister on Tuesday and we are hopeful that the matter would be resolved. It is crystal clear that no teacher would enroll for the bridge course of NIOS,’’ he said.
The jobs of these teachers are stake due to an order by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry which has made it clear that by year 2019 all untrained primary teachers should compulsorily complete the Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) course (earlier termed BTC). To the chagrin of these teachers it was learnt that due to tardiness of the edu department officers the Special BTC course held by the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET), are not recognised by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE). As a way out, these teachers are now offered by the State education department that they should undergo, a 6 month bridge course offered by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
However the agitated association of Primary teachers, the Prathemik Shikshak Sangh (PSS), is adamant that no special BTC teacher would enroll for the bridge course.
Meanwhile the PSS is continuing its stir against the department’s plan to enroll these teachers for the bridge course.
On the day teachers from Haridwar district sat on a Dharna at the State education directorate. The teachers of Dehradun and Nainital district would sit on the Dharna on November 28 and 29 respectively.
Similarly the teachers of Almora and Bageshwar would hold Dharna on Nov 30, Udham Singh Nagar on December 1, Uttarkashi on December 4 and Champawat and Pithoragarh on December 5. Teachers have resolved to take out a big rally at State capital if the issue is not resolved.
The District President of Dehradun unit of PSS, Krishali claimed that the number of special BTC teachers is more than 19k and not 13K as claimed by the department officials. He said that it is unfortunate that teachers are being informed after 16 yrs that the Special BTC courses conducted by the DIETs are not recognised by the NCTE. The teachers are furious as these courses were conducted on the basis of Govt Orders (GO), he said.