Adding that the Teachers are like Gods and they should not question the government, The High Court of Judicature at Madras, on 22 May 2019, rejected the main ground raised by the petitioners, Tamilaga Asiriyar Kootani, The Tamilaga Elementary School Teachers Federation and others, with regard to deployment of surplus Secondary Grade Teachers in the School Education Department to the Anganwadi Centres to teach LKG/UKG students on the ground that, they do not possess necessary qualification as per the Regulations of the National Council for Teacher Education.
Section 23(2) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, seems to be a produce of a great vision, which in 2009 has foreseen of a situation in 2019 where in there wouldn't be any much teachers to teach the young! And also in having provided an escape route to the situation, by adding certain provisions, providing for exceptions and relaxations with regard to the minimum qualification required for appointment as teacher.
Why did the government not act upon training as many teachers, while it enacted the Compulsory Education Act in 2009, is a question. Furthermore is the question, what has the government and it's many bodies like the Birth and Death Registries, the Statistical office, the planning commission, the Human Resource departments, the Employment and Training department and the rest doing till 2019? Added to this, is also the question that, what is going to follow and if the bodies are likely to mend themselves.
The Court has, in it's judgement recorded of certain things being clear to it. Such things include, "the State does not have adequate
institutions to offer the Course or training in teacher education or teachers possessing minimum qualification ...." and also of the provision that, in case of the above, "the State Government could appeal to the Central
Government for relaxation."
It is unclear if the state could, beside appealing for relaxation, could also stay without having to plan for something still better.
Also unknown is, if the government not be held responsible and not be reprimanded for having pushed the the young children with no trained teachers to teach them nor any institution to train such teachers, whom the government has foreseen in 2009 or by the notification of the NCTE dated 12.11.2014.
The costs of the risks that the children would undergo in the hands if the untrained, facilitated by the laws enacted by the governments, to favour their inaction and also of the bodies those interpret them, is unknown.
Is complacency ruling, is unknown.
"Teachers are like Gods" the judgement states, and following which is the proposition that "they (The Gods?) cannot question each and every decision taken by the Government ..."
However, the court has recommended to the government that, a six month long in-service bridge course to the Secondary Grade Teachers would empower them to impart Montessori based education to KinderGarten students.
If the in-service training for a six month period would provide the academic rigor as mandated by the NCTE and would the teachers offered with such equivalent certificates, and if the NCTE would agree for extension of such programmes from Colleges of Education to Anganwadis, is not known.
Would all these survive to serve as a precedence, is also unknown.
However the court has given all green direction to the government to "go ahead with the project at the earliest as the academic year is to commence from 1st June, 2019 onwards."
Last but not the least, could the Employment offices tell us of the number of such educated (viz., Diploma in Nursery Teacher Education/ Pre-school /
Early childhood Education Programme (D.E.C.Ed) of duration not less than two years or B.Ed (nursery) from NCTE recognized institution) in it's Registers?
What is the education code for the above qualifications, is also the question directed towards the Employment offices to answer.
Then would we know, the role of the parliamentary, judiciary, and of the executive in preparing and responding the challenges current and forthcoming.
Click to download Madras High Court Order
Section 23(2) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, seems to be a produce of a great vision, which in 2009 has foreseen of a situation in 2019 where in there wouldn't be any much teachers to teach the young! And also in having provided an escape route to the situation, by adding certain provisions, providing for exceptions and relaxations with regard to the minimum qualification required for appointment as teacher.
Why did the government not act upon training as many teachers, while it enacted the Compulsory Education Act in 2009, is a question. Furthermore is the question, what has the government and it's many bodies like the Birth and Death Registries, the Statistical office, the planning commission, the Human Resource departments, the Employment and Training department and the rest doing till 2019? Added to this, is also the question that, what is going to follow and if the bodies are likely to mend themselves.
The Court has, in it's judgement recorded of certain things being clear to it. Such things include, "the State does not have adequate
institutions to offer the Course or training in teacher education or teachers possessing minimum qualification ...." and also of the provision that, in case of the above, "the State Government could appeal to the Central
Government for relaxation."
It is unclear if the state could, beside appealing for relaxation, could also stay without having to plan for something still better.
Also unknown is, if the government not be held responsible and not be reprimanded for having pushed the the young children with no trained teachers to teach them nor any institution to train such teachers, whom the government has foreseen in 2009 or by the notification of the NCTE dated 12.11.2014.
The costs of the risks that the children would undergo in the hands if the untrained, facilitated by the laws enacted by the governments, to favour their inaction and also of the bodies those interpret them, is unknown.
Is complacency ruling, is unknown.
"Teachers are like Gods" the judgement states, and following which is the proposition that "they (The Gods?) cannot question each and every decision taken by the Government ..."
However, the court has recommended to the government that, a six month long in-service bridge course to the Secondary Grade Teachers would empower them to impart Montessori based education to KinderGarten students.
If the in-service training for a six month period would provide the academic rigor as mandated by the NCTE and would the teachers offered with such equivalent certificates, and if the NCTE would agree for extension of such programmes from Colleges of Education to Anganwadis, is not known.
Would all these survive to serve as a precedence, is also unknown.
However the court has given all green direction to the government to "go ahead with the project at the earliest as the academic year is to commence from 1st June, 2019 onwards."
Last but not the least, could the Employment offices tell us of the number of such educated (viz., Diploma in Nursery Teacher Education/ Pre-school /
Early childhood Education Programme (D.E.C.Ed) of duration not less than two years or B.Ed (nursery) from NCTE recognized institution) in it's Registers?
What is the education code for the above qualifications, is also the question directed towards the Employment offices to answer.
Then would we know, the role of the parliamentary, judiciary, and of the executive in preparing and responding the challenges current and forthcoming.
Click to download Madras High Court Order
No comments:
Post a Comment