Salary of SCERT officials, including Director, withheld for the slow pace of training programme for teachers

PTNA: Not satisfied with the pace of the expansion plan of ongoing residential training of teachers, including new recruits, the Bihar Education department has withheld the salary of all officials of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

According to a circular issued by the SCERT on July 22, salary of all employees including Director, has also been withheld. Currently, the post of Director (SCERT) is being held by Sajjan R, an IAS officer. The SCERT functions under the control of the state Education department. "The Additional Chief Secretary of the Education department inspected the SCERT office on July 22. He was not satisfied with the pace of the expansion of the residential training programme for teachers. Since the expansion programme for teachers training was not found satisfactory, the Council, following an order, has decided to withhold the salaries of its all senior officials, including its director, and employees till further order", says the circular.

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The SCERT functions along the lines of NCERT at the state level, and advises the state government on policy issues, support implementation and appraisal of programmes and undertaking activities for quality improvement in school education and teacher education. It also assists the education department, to implement its policies and major programmes in the field of pre-primary to Higher Secondary Education. It conducts training of teachers, including newly recruited teachers. Despite repeated attempts by PTI, Bihar Education Minister, Chandra Shekhar, was not available for his comments on the latest circular of the department.

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Teacher organisations in the state are already upset with several circulars recently issued by the Bihar Education Department pertaining to strict guidelines for the working of teachers. The TET Teachers' Association last week lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) alleging 'unconstitutional and illegal' action against the school teachers for their participation in a peaceful agitation in support of their demand in the state capital on July 11. Several teacher aspirants in the state are also protesting against the Nitish Kumar-led 'Mahagathbandhan' government’s recent decision to remove the domicile policy in hiring of 1.7 lakh teachers, which would effectively allow those from other provinces to compete for teachers' jobs.