Primary teachers demand roll-back of eligibility test rule, seek census dues

The protest came after the Haryana school education department on September 14 directed teachers with more than five years of service remaining to clear the HTET, failing which they could face compulsory retirement

The Gurugram unit of the Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh Haryana, an association of primary teachers, staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the state government, demanding the withdrawal of the requirement making the Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET) mandatory for teachers appointed before 2010.

The union also raised the issue of pending remuneration for census-related work, alleging that nearly 90% of primary teachers were assigned the exercise around four months ago but had still not been paid the prescribed remuneration. (Representational image)

The protest came after the Haryana school education department on September 14 directed teachers with more than five years of service remaining to clear the HTET, failing which they could face compulsory retirement.

Ashok Prajapati, president of the Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh’s Gurugram unit, said, “These teachers have taught students for 25 to 30 years, and asking them to qualify an examination at this stage of their careers is unjust.”

Dushyant Thakran, patron of the union, said, “The government must exempt pre-2010 teachers from the HTET requirement. Many affected teachers have years of experience. When teachers appointed before 2010 entered service, no such rule was applicable, and a new eligibility condition should not be imposed on them now.”

The union also raised the issue of pending remuneration for census-related work, alleging that nearly 90% of primary teachers were assigned the exercise around four months ago but had still not been paid the prescribed remuneration.

The union further criticised the deployment of a large number of primary teachers for non-academic duties, including SIR-related work, alleging that nearly 90% of primary teachers were taken out of schools for such assignments, leaving some schools dependent on a single teacher.

The union also questioned why primary teachers were repeatedly selected for administrative duties and demanded that such work be distributed equitably among all teaching cadres.

Sumita Rangi, district elementary education officer (DEEO), Gurugram, said the matter was beyond her jurisdiction and she could not comment on it.

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