Gauhati High Court

Guwahati, March 24: High school teachers of Assam have moved Gauhati High Court, challenging Dispur’s decision to make the bachelor of education (BEd) degree compulsory for holding the post of headmaster.

The secretary of Assam High School Teachers’ Association, Rajen Sarma, told this correspondent today that the government’s decision would rule out hundreds of high school teachers having 20 to 40 years’ teaching experience and deny the post of seniority and experience.

“Earlier, a teacher was required to complete 10 years in the profession to become the headmaster of a school. According to the new service rule for schoolteachers, which came into effect from 2009, along with experience a teacher needs to pass the BEd course to become a headmaster,” he said.

Sarma said this might prove “humiliating” for senior teachers, as junior teachers with BEd degrees would supersede them.

“Besides academic qualifications, the post of headmaster requires administrative capabilities which can come only with experience. A teacher with brilliant academic career and holder of various degrees, including BEd, may not turn out to be good headmaster,” he argued.

He said the government’s decision was also contradictory since the BEd degree was not compulsory for principals of higher secondary schools. To hold this post, a teacher needs to complete 17 years in the profession.

“Higher secondary schools are only an upgrade of high schools with introduction of Classes XI and XII. The nature of work of a headmaster and a principal is almost the same. We fail to understand why the qualifications for the two posts should be different,” Sarma said.

He said the court had admitted the writ petition filed by the association last month and had asked the education department to respond to it. The petition will come for hearing only after the department files an affidavit, explaining its decision.

“In the petition, we have sought an exemption of the new service rules for teachers who are 50-plus. Teachers below 50 must be given three to four years to complete the BEd degree. We have full faith in the judiciary and hope that the high court will give the verdict in favour of high school teachers,” he added.