Shiksha Shatru; SC slams ad hoc appointment of teachers

New Delhi, May 20:It's May already and the

will be opening sooner than we are even ready for it. June to August will see school children running around with school books to bind and shopping for new bags and water bottles.

But is the condition of the current education system equally exciting?

There have been no proper check on the education and qualification of primary school teachers and the dilemma of whether to regularise the ad hoc teachers or to follow selection systematically has been up since a long time now.

Finally the government seems to have come to a decision.

Appointment of teachers in primary schools on ad hoc basis by various state governments without following proper qualification criteria today drew flak from the Supreme Court which said that such policies are spoiling the entire education system and future of the country.

A bench of justices B S Chauhan and Dipak Misra expressed strong disapproval of such a system and said it was "shocking" that it can be pursued even after the implementation of Right to Education Act.

"A populist principality cannot spoil the future of the the country. We want to know qualification of teachers," the bench said while hearing Gujarat government's plea on a case pertaining to appointment of "Vidya Sahayak" in primary schools in the state.

"How do you bring such policies when there is Article 21A. It is shocking. There are such appointments in UP also. These Shiksha Sahayaks (helpers) are Shiksha 'shatrus' (enemies)," the bench observed asking the state government to place details relating to qualification and appointment of such teachers.

The bench noted that ad-hoc appointment of primary teachers are done in many states which provide them less than one-forth salary given to regular teachers.

"Once we have implemented Article 21A, can we allow such system? Our concern is quality of education and we are very serious about the kind of education we are imparting," it said adding, "We spoil the entire education system by appointing ad-hoc teachers who do not have proper qualification".

OneIndia News