Srinagar, Dec 20: In a latest development, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has made the six-month bridge course mandatory for the primary school teachers with B.Ed degrees.
The six-month crash course has been made mandatory for those teachers appointed between June 28, 2018 and August 11, 2023.
As per the official documents, the crash course has been made mandatory for the teachers in the wake of the Supreme Court order issued on April 8 of 2024.
In the wake of the SC directions, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) issued a notification stating that it has designed the six-month Certificate Course (Bridge) in Primary Teacher Education, which has been approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of India vide its letter issued on April 7 of this year
The course has been designed with the conditions that the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) may apply for recognition to conduct the course on ODL mode from NCTE.
“This course will only be meant for those primary teachers who have been appointed with B.Ed. degree in accordance with NCTE’s notification dated 28.06.2018 and who were in-service before the date of the Supreme Court’s judgment issued on November 8 of 2023,” it reads.
It reads that an appropriate mechanism will be evolved by NCTE and NIOS to ensure that any candidate who is not covered under the ambit of the judgment shall not avail of the Course.
“Orders of the competent authority in this department will be obtained in this regard. The participant teachers shall complete the course within one year of the commencement of the course of NIOS,” the official communication reads.
It reads that qualifying the Bridge Course will be strictly meant for teachers to protect their existing employment.
“This Bridge Course will not be valid for these teachers seeking subsequent employment as primary teachers,” it reads.
Following this, an official communication has been sent by the Joint Director State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) (Jammu division) to the Director School Education Jammu (DSEJ) with the request for dissemination of the instructions regarding the mandatory six-month certificate (Bridge) course for Primary Teachers and to forward the list of the eligible teachers.
“All in-service teachers appointed between June 28 of 2018 and August 11 of 2023, and presently teaching at the Primary Level with B.Ed. qualification, are required to undergo the Six-Month Certificate Course through NIOS under the NCTE norms as per the SC judgment,” it reads.
“Kindly forward the communication to all Chief Education Officers, ZEOs, and Heads of Institutions under your administrative control in the Jammu Division, ensuring that all eligible teachers register for the mandatory course at the link provided by NIOS,” it reads.
The Joint Director SCERT, who is also the State Nodal Officer for NIOS course, has also sought a consolidated list of all such eligible in-teachers
Following this, the DSEJ has forwarded a communication to all the CEOs of the Jammu division with the direction to furnish the list of all eligible teachers for the mandatory six-month certificate (Bridge) course for primary teachers with B.Ed. qualification.
However, the move has evoked a mixed response from the teaching community, who say that the recruitment in the School Education Department (SED) was not school-based but the candidates are recruited as General Line Teachers (GLTs) without any proper categorisation.
“In States outside Jammu and Kashmir, the process of recruitment is school-based as the teachers are recruited for primary schools, and higher level of schools,” a government school teacher told Greater Kashmir.
The teachers said the Mandatory six months certificate course raises questions on the validity and relevance of the B.Ed degree acquired by the teachers.
“Our teachers do not remain posted in primary schools permanently. The department has sought the list of teachers presently posted in primary schools but next year the same teachers can be transferred to middle schools or high schools,” the teachers said.
Meanwhile, an official at SCERT said that all the teachers were B.Ed qualified and certified them as trained teachers.
“The SCERT has received a representation from B.Ed qualified teachers, which will be discussed with the regional director NIOS in Jammu, and further action will be taken accordingly,” the official told Greater Kashmir.
