The Punjab Education Reforms Committee (PERC) committed to bring reforms in the education system in the state has pointed out that issuing two appointment letters to teachers, who have qualified ETT (Elementary Teachers Training), in two subjects deprives the right of the remaining ETT teachers who are waiting for appointment for last two years. The mistake on the part of the Education Department was pointed well before the issuing of such appointments but no action was taken and there is a great resentment among ETT pass teachers.
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Punjab Government had invited applications for filling up the vacant posts of different subjects in May, 2011 from unemployed ETT teachers and all formalities were completed by the end of December 2012. In January 2013, the appointment letters were issued to the eligible candidates on the basis of merit and all selected candidates have reported at the vacant places.
According to sources, out of 3442 posts, 953 were science posts, 248 Maths, 23 Agriculture, 23 Sanskrit, 23 Urdu and 23 Home Science subject posts. Normally, one teacher is eligible for the posts of two subjects or more. For example, the mathematics and science combination ETT teachers in merit have been selected for both the posts. Similarly, the teachers with SS, Punjabi and Hindi combination have also been selected two times.
After the PERC pointed out the goof-up, the education department has also invited option for one subject from those teachers who have been selected in two subjects. But most of the teachers did not give their option with the intention to join at the nearest place of posting from their hometown. Under certain compelling circumstances, the Education Department issued two appointment letters to about 1200 teachers out of 3442 teachers, to save themselves from any court case.
The Punjab Government has not been able to re-conduct the test for ETT teachers when more than 30,000 posts are lying vacant in the state. Jaswant Singh Gill, President, PERC and state spokesperson Hans Raj have demanded from the Chief Minister and Education Minister to fill up the vacant posts of ETT teachers out of 3442 posts, from the waiting list so that all the posts as per the advertisements are filled up. The PERC has also demanded from the Punjab Government to announce the retaking of test for ETT teachers to honour the commitment of appointment of 2.50 lakh unemployed teachers.
