Bihar Contractual Teachers Threaten State-Wide Stir Against New Recruitment Rules 

Patna: Thousands of contractual school teachers, locally known as Niyojit Shikshak, in Bihar have threatened to intensify the protest against the new teacher recruitment rules if they are not immediately withdrawn or amended.

Under the Bihar State School Teachers (appointment, transfer, disciplinary action and service condition) Rules, 2023, all school teachers would be appointed under one standardised process and have status equivalent to state government employees with separate district cadres. 

Four days after the Nitish Kumar government approved the rules, contractual teachers have opposed them on the ground that those currently employed in schools and candidates who had cracked the teacher's eligibility test (TET) will likely have to retake a centralised exam to be conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).

TET/STET Qualified Teachers Association leader Markandey Pathak said that thousands of teachers observed a black day, staged protest marches and burnt copies of the new rules across the state on Wednesday. The Association protested the new rules outside the ruling RJD’s office in the state capital on Tuesday. 

“We will continue protesting and take to the streets unless the new rules are withdrawn,” Pathak told Newsclick. 

Associations of more than 3.5 lakh contractual school teachers will hold an emergency meeting on April 16 in Patna to make a strategy to protest the new rules.

Manoj Kumar, a leader of the Bihar Rajya Shikshak Sangharsh Samanvay Samiti, told Newsclick that contractual school teachers and their associations are united in opposing new rules.

Bihar State Primary Teachers Association president Brajnandan Sharma said that there is “no need to create a separate cadre of teachers” and demanded that teachers appointed through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and working since 2006 should also be given the status of state government employees. 

“We will not accept a separate cadre. Old teachers should not be forced to retake exams to get the status of government employees. It was not their fault because they were appointed through PRIs,” Sharma said in a joint statement of the Association.

“Now, the government will treat them differently. If the government does not amend the new rules, the Association will go for a state-wide agitation,” Sharma added.

Even the CPI(ML), an ally of ruling Mahagathbandhan, has questioned the new rules and demanded that the government appoint candidates who had cracked the STET in 2019 as teachers based on the old recruitment policy.

Education department officials, however, pointed out that new rules aim to improve teachers' quality to ensure quality teaching. 

Dipak Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary (education), has reportedly said that the BPSC would conduct the exam for the appointment of school teachers.