No decision on competency test yet; Bihar deputy CM to meet teachers on Feb 15

The Bihar government on Tuesday said they have not taken any decision on the education department committee’s recommendation regarding termination of service of working teachers failing competency test.

The committee had recommended that the teachers, appointed through Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies since 2006, must appear in at least three tests and qualify in at least one, to avail the government employee status, failing which their services will be terminated.

“The government is yet to take a decision in the recommendation of the committee. The government would decide on the committee’s recommendation regarding termination of service of teachers. That decision has not been taken. The teachers should also have patience,” Bihar’s education minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said.

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Choudhary’s statement came outside Bihar Assembly where CPI-ML MLA Sandip Saurav and other ministers also raised the issue of school teachers during the Zero Hour.

Teachers across the state have been holding protests against the riders of termination and transfer attached with the competency test.

There were reports of mild lathicharge on protesting teachers as they tried to reach the office of the state BJP office to meet the deputy CM and education minister.

“The government will take any decision with the interest of teachers in mind. But that decision is still awaited. The committee has made its recommendation, and the government will take a call. There is no confusion on competency test. It was always on. On the committee’s recommendation about termination, the government will decide, and the teachers’ side will also be taken into consideration,” he added.

Deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary also assured that he will meet a delegation of teachers on February 15.

“No teacher will lose the job. I will talk to the teachers to listen to their grievances and the government will do what will be in their interest. They are all our teachers. Come in a delegation on February 15 around 2pm,” he told a group of agitating teachers at his residence, who later decided to call off the stir after the meeting.

The committee, headed by additional chief secretary (education) KK Pathak, had last month recommended four attempts of online competency test for the teachers working in schools since 2006 to be eligible for the government employee status, with a rider that passing at least one will be mandatory for continuance in service.

Teacher representative and JD-U MLC Sanjeev Kumar Singh as well as Bihar secondary teachers’ association president and former MP Shatrughan Peasad Singh has also written to the CM that like the teachers’ recruitment test 1 & 2, conducted by the BPSC, the competency test should also be conducted offline and transfer and termination clause should be removed, as the teachers has already worked for 15-20 years.

They also circulated a government letter of 2009 to the Election Commission (EC), which described all the teachers appointed through Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies as permanent teachers.