HYDERABAD: Even as States have been struggling to make their ‘untrained’ primary teachers pay heed to its MHRD instruction to enroll for an online diploma course, Telangana has recorded more enrollments than the number of untrained teachers the ministry had specified.During the month-long registration process, 4,500 teachers have enrolled with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Surprisingly, as per the government records, Telangana had only 4,051 unqualified teachers, all in private schools. Teachers across all government and aided schools in the state have this degree.
With the government extending the September 15 deadline by two weeks, teachers can now apply for the course -- Diploma in Elementary Education, or D.El.Ed till September 30.Anil Kumar, regional director of NIOS said,”The difference in numbers will be there. Part-time and contractual teachers would also have applied.”
Another education official, on condition of anonymity, said that corporate schools often recruit graduates with no teaching qualification, who in all likelihood would have also applied for the course. “It is possible that teachers from such schools would have also applied for admission to ensure that they don’t lose their job post March 31, 2019, when the government will weed out teachers who do not have D El Ed degree,” he said.
Irrational decree, say teachers
Meanwhile, teachers have turned up their nose at the diploma degree and have questioned the rationale behind the mandatory qualification on the ground that they already hold higher degrees. “The rule does not make sense. I have BEd and MA degrees but despite that am technically not qualified to teach elementary students if I don’t get a diploma that one can do after intermediate. This education programme is beneath the degrees I already possess,” rued Anjum Parveen, a class V teacher.
The sweeping mandate
A month ago, as per the instructions of the MHRD, the Directorate of School Education sent out a circular stating that primary teachers without D El Ed, the minimum qualification prescribed under the Right to Education Act 2009, would not be allowed to continue in service beyond March 31, 2019.
According to the official figures, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, and Medchal together account for 1,032 untrained teachers. Hyderabad tops the list with 582 followed by Nizamabad and Nirmal with 483 and 371 respectively. Pan India the number of private school teachers who do not have the requisite degree is 5-6 lakh and in government schools, it is 2.5 lakh.