Citizens hails govt move while RET employees and NC in open antagonism
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: The move of Jammu and Kashmir government following a High Court order to scrutinize the degree certificates of those employed as Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers in the state and conduct a screening test before regularizing them has initiated a war of words in social and political circles in the state.
With a statewide lockout of educational institutions on August 6 and 7 by the Teachers’ Forum has sent a clear indication that a war has been declared on the government by resisting every move in this direction. On the other hand, the civil society members, netizens and academicians have asked the government not to budge down to ReTs’ demand of scrapping the scrutiny tests.
The move comes in the backdrop of the High Court order where a defendant who was an ReT candidate failed to write an essay on cow and solve some basic arithmetic calculations of primary standard, casting doubts over the credibility of recruitment process.
The High Court had observed that many study centres were arbitrarily furnishing degrees resulting in an adverse impact on the education system. It also directed the state government to constitute a committee to examine the issue and suggest measures.
Abdul Qayoom Wani, president, Teachers Forum, in a statement, had castigated Nayeem Akhtar, state’s Education Minister terming the move as ‘disgraceful’.
“This order won’t be accepted under any circumstances. The government should not try to divert the attention of the public from the main issues facing the state. Teachers are being made scapegoat. Five lakh employees of the states are united and anti-employees policies can’t be tolerated,” Wani had said.
“All ReT teachers were selected through a transparent process, which was based on merit and the selection orders were issued by the Director, School Education. It is quite disgusting that the Education Minister Naeem Akhtar is now questioning the credentials of 70,000 ReT employees, who draw meager monthly salary of Rs 3,000 for five years before they get regularized,” said Farooq Ahmad Tantray, president ReT Teacher’s Forum.
Contrary to the employees’ views, netizens, civil society members and academicians are backing the governments proposed move and termed it as a logical step towards putting the badly affected education sector of state on the right track.
Raja Muzaffar Bhat, an advocate and civil society member, took to social networking website, Facebook to back the government’s move of scrutiny test. Raja wrote: “The decision of government to implement High Court orders to undertake screening test for ReTs sounds logical. I think such tests will make our education system more accountable. We need quality teachers to impart quality education in Jammu & Kashmir. LET US UNITE FOR QUALITY EDUCATION. (sic).”
(Photo By : Shah Jehangir)
Ezabir Ali, a women rights activist, termed the government move as a step in right direction and asked ReTs to cooperate with the government. “The proposed move has nothing to do with politics but it is a step initiated to save the future of lakhs of students across the state, who rely on these ReTs. These teachers have a major role to clear up the basics of children’s and put them on the right track. I am not able to understand as to why ReT employees are so much apprehensive on appearing for the scrutiny test. It raises serious doubts on their motives,” Ali told TwoCircles.net.
On the first day of lockout, the protesting teachers were dealt with force after a massive protest demonstration was held in city centre Lal Chowk. The ReT employees had assembled at Press Enclave from where they tried to march towards Lal Chowk, which prompted the police to use water cannons and tear gas shells, thus ensuing stone pelting battles. In between the clashes, many protesting ReTs were detained. A teacher was badly injured with severe injuries on his face. He was later identified as Baljit Singh.
Meanwhile, opposition party in the state legislature, National Conference in a statement issued to press, condemned the use of force on protesting ReT teachers in Srinagar and termed it as repressive tendencies of coalition PDP-BJP government.
National Conference, while extended its full support to the protesting ReTs, also took a jibe at Education Minister that he should be asked to sit for an exam “to find out if he is fit to be a minister.”
“Before asking qualified and respectable teachers in the state to prove themselves even when they have been rendering services for years, the Education Minister should be asked to sit for an exam to find out if he is fit to be a Minister. The Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers programme has been an enormous success and has been praised by independent organization of global repute. Unfortunately, we now have a government that considers humiliation as a political tool,” reads the party statement.
It is important to mention here that the ReT scheme, under which qualified people of an area were appointed as teachers in their respective areas, was started by the National Conference (NC) government in 2000 with an intention to lower the rate of unemployment and improve the literacy rate in the state. A teacher under this scheme was paid a fixed stipend of Rs 1,500 per month for the first five years of his service which was later increased to 3000. After completing their five years for service, the teachers were regularized.