Deadline missed, TET pass teachers burn govt effigy

During recent public functions, Cheema had announced that TET pass teachers would be issued appointment letters by September 30 but the deadline was missed and no action has been taken to date.

There are approximately 5,078 teachers across Punjab who have cleared TET and are waiting for their appointment. Talking to Newsline, Deep Raja, district president of TET Pass Unemployed Teachers’ Union, said, “CM and education minister grabbed headlines in the media announcing that teachers will be hired and appointment letters will be issued by September 30. But no action has been taken on the ground and we are still unemployed. All teachers have not only cleared TET but have also appeared in counselling sessions. Still, the government is not hiring them.”

The teachers announced that protests would be intensified and public functions of the CM and education minister would be disrupted in the coming days if action was not taken at the earliest and appointment letters were not issued to the unemployed teachers.

Almost 14,000 teachers cleared TET in 2011 and 2013 and are unemployed. The government advertised vacancies for 5,078 posts and counselling was done but they have not been hired till now. The teachers on Sunday also demanded immediate hiring of 764 teachers under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) who are also unemployed.