AGARTALA, Aug 25 (TIWN) : The inefficiency of the Elementary Education Department led by Minister Tapan Chakraborty has created unnecessary confusion among all the in-service elementary teachers regarding the minimum requisite qualifications mandated under RTE Act 2009 . In the first week of August Anita Karwal , Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Human Resource Development , Department of School Education & Literacy vide D.O. No. 17-2/2017-EE.17 dated 3rd August 2017 sent a letter to the Principal Secretary/Secretary Education of all States/UTs regarding the training of untrained in-service elementary teachers in the Govt./Govt Aided/Unaided-Private Schools . In this letter Anita Karwal states ," It is apprised that the Amendment to the Section 23(2) of the RTE Act to extend the period for such training to 31st March , 2019 has been passed in the Parliament .

" In response to this Additional Secretary to the Govt of Tripura , who also happens to be the Director of the Elementary Education issued a Memorandum vide No.F.11(25-1)-SE/SSA/011(L-II)/3494-3508 dated 19/08/2017 citing instruction for acquiring requisite Academic and Professional qualification by untrained in-service teachers at Elementary Level as mandated under RTE Act 2017 . 

In the MHRD letter Ankit Karwal categorically states," It is reiterated that this will be the last chance to acquire the requisite minimum professional qualifications. Any teacher in the aforementioned schools , who do not have the minimum qualificattions mandated under the RTE Act 2009 , would not be allowed to continue in-service beyond 1st April 2019, and procedure for dismissal shall be initiated against such teachers . " Thus, this letter clearly statesthat all elementary teachers must acquire minimum educational and professional qualifications by 31st March 2019. However , the state govt , indicated by Elementary Education's Press note , has sought clarifications from MHRD without doing the basic steps to be done as instructed by the MHRD .

          Instructing all  the States/UTs MHRD mentions the following vital points :-

1. States and UTs will be responsible for ensuring that all in-service untrained teachers (Government Schools and Private Schools) in the State and UTs acquire the minimum qualifications required under the RTE Act 2009 within the proposed extended period till 31st March 2019, through the ODL( Open Distance Learning) programme of National Institution of Open Schooling(NIOS)
2. At the States/UTs levek , a Committee under the chairmanship of Secretary , Elementary Education needs to be set up to monitor the progress and completion of training of all in-service untrained teachers at elementary level within the stipulated time period as per amendment of the Act i.e., 31.03.2019
3. It is mandatory for all in-service untrained teachers to undertake D.El.Ed. programme only through ODL or NIOS
4. States must undertake an awareness programme amongst the teachers also , clearly indicating that this would be the last opportunity for application and enrolment to the course failing which their services will be terminated w.e.f. 1st April , 2019 and also advertise about this last opportunity on large scale
5. Registration of unqualified untrained teachers on NIOS portal should be completed between 16.08.2017 to 15.09.2017 by State Coordinators/School Principal
6. The unqualified in-service teachers in Govt/Govt Aided/Private schools who fail to enroll on or before 15th September 2017 , are liable to face removal/dismissal procedures against them
7. Teachers who do not fulfill the minimum eligibility requirement for taking admission in D.El.Ed. programme i.e. , 50% in Class 12, will have to join NIOS and re-appear for the  Class12th exam to achieve the minimum qualification . They would however , be eligible for provisional admission in D.El.Ed. programme of NIOS , subject to them acquiring 50% marks in Class 12 before completing the D.El.Ed. programme of NIOS . This would facilitate such teachers to pursue the programmes concurrently .
8. A D.El.Ed Certificate would be given only when the teacher acquires 50% at  Class 12

The letter also clearly states that :-

1. NIOS will conduct a training programme / workshop by mid-August in order guide and orient the States and UTs on translation of material , preparing audio-visual content on the material and all issues related to this training
2. NIOS will share the content of D.El.Ed. syllabus with the States by 1st September so that the translations of the content could begin at the state level . The course materials will be provided by NIOS but translation in local language will have to be done by the respective State and UT . 

 Again MHRD has specific time table given in the letter that states :-

1. Between 1st August to 14th August : All States/UTs to issue advertisements in newspapers and conduct wide outreach programmesinforming all teachers about the opportunity of acquiring the minimum qualifications provided through NIOS failing which their services will be terminated w.e.f. 1st April 2019
2. By 20th August : States and UTs to submit complete database of all in-service untrained teachers in Government and Private Schools to NIOS .
3. 3rd October : Start of the Course

First term -3rd October 2017 to 18th June 2018

      Second term -25th June 2017 to 31st March 2019

     Thus, from the above facts it is clear like day light that MHRD has given point wise details to all states/UTs regarding the recent amendment of RTE Act 2009 . But state govt , by seeking clarifications , just proves its inefficiency to understand meaning of that letter. Not only this , department of Elementary Education has been busy in holding meetings . Quite shamelessly the Director of Elementary Education has issued and signed the memorandum on 19th of August but in the first paragraph of Page 2 Director has stated All concerned Govt . , Govt aided and unaided Private Schools should upload the data of untrained in-service teachers under their control by 18th August 2017 positively. This very line itself shows the incompetency of the Education Department led by Tapan Chakraborty .

 It is to be mentioned here that even in case of 10323 teachers case the jobs were terminated simply due to the arrogance and violation of NCTE guidelines by the state govt led by Honest(?) CM Manik Sarkar . Once again the state is heading towards a serious risk of thousands of teachers' jobs termination as the state govt is yet to make any concrete decision in view of the MHRDs recent guidelines regarding the Amendment of RTE Act 2009.