‘I have loans to pay’: Facing termination, primary school teachers refuse to give up protest in Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh High Court on April 2 ruled that B.Ed holders were not eligible for the post of primary teachers and paved the way for those with Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) to get the jobs.

However, in September 2023, several B.Ed holders were hired to these posts under the condition that the job was subject to the High Court’s final decision. With the court order going against them, the government has begun taking action to terminate their services.

These are among over 100 primary school teachers who have made New Raipur’s Tuta ground their home since last month as they protested their looming termination from service. (Express Photo)

There have been sustained protests by these teachers since last month. A video of several women teachers rolling on the road in Raipur as part of a protest had gone viral on social media and drew reactions from Opposition politicians, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

“Only the Modi government and BJP are responsible for pushing the youth into the clutches of unemployment. In this heart-wrenching video from Chhattisgarh, see how these women teachers are forced to protest in the extreme cold,” said Kharge, reacting to the video on social media.

The state government has promised to look into the issue and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who holds the Education portfolio, formed a committee on January 3 to find ways to resolve the issue.

Among the protesters gathered at Tuta ground since December 19 is 28-year-old Amit Verma from Bhilai, a mechanical engineer by training, who left a permanent Group D job with the Railways to take up his passion for teaching.

“Teaching is my dream job and I had worked at Atmanand government school on a contract. On my parents’ insistence, I left it and took up the Railway job, but in my heart, I wanted to pursue my passion. This is why I left that job and joined as a primary school teacher. Now, I have lost that job too, and my parents are upset about my decision. My only mistake was that I was not aware of the court proceedings. I urge the government to adjust,” he said.

From Rajnandgaon, 28-year-old Pushpa Uikey is the sole bread-winner of her family. She chose a primary school teaching job over a middle school job that she also had an opportunity to take because the former was in a better location.

“I appeared for exams of both primary and middle school and got job offers for both. I first accepted the primary school teacher job in September 2023, and seven days later, I also got a job offer at a middle school. I did not choose the middle school job despite its higher salary just because it was in a remote place,” she said.

There have been sustained protests by these teachers since last month at at Tuta ground since December 19. (Express Photo)

“I have loans to pay and am the only earning member of my family. I urge the government to give me my job back. We do not deserve this,” she said.

Standing next to her, Deepshri Tiwari (28) from Kabirdham left a higher-paying job as a contractual lecturer for class 9 and 12 students to take up this job.

She said the vacancy she applied to came after five years and worried that if the next one takes longer than that, she may lose out on the chance to get the job for which 35 is the cut-off age after which one becomes ineligible to apply.

An engineering degree holder and an MSc in Physics, Gaurav Gupta (36) is already past the age at which he can apply for the job. “I was working on contract at a CBSE-affiliated school teaching physics to higher secondary students. I left this for this. This is my last chance as I have crossed the cut-off age for general category,” said Gupta.

The issue began on May 4, 2023, when the Chhattisgarh government advertised jobs for primary school teachers in which B.Ed degree holders were allowed to participate. A month later, on June 10, 2023, examinations were conducted and a merit list was released on July 2, 2023.

In August 2023, however, the Supreme Court upheld a Rajasthan High Court judgment quashing the 2018 National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification that had made B.Ed holders eligible to become primary teachers. On the basis of this, D.El.Ed holders approached the Chhattisgarh High Court seeking to disqualify B.Ed holders from taking up primary teaching jobs.

While the matter was being heard, the government in September 2023 gave appointment letters to B.Ed holders with the condition that their appointment would be subject to the final High Court order.