Chandigarh: Teachers from nine states, including Punjab, staged a protest at Jat Mitra Bhawan in Keshavpuram, New Delhi, against the compulsory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement for teachers appointed before implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, following the Supreme Court’s judgment on the issue.Teachers from Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Uttarakhand participated in the protest, organised by the Joint Teachers’ Front.The protesters demanded that Parliament amend the RTE Act to exempt teachers appointed before its implementation, as well as those teaching subjects excluded from the TET requirement, from the compulsory test.Vikram Dev Singh, state president of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), Punjab, led the state’s participation. He expressed solidarity with teachers from other states and supported their demand to withdraw the compulsory TET requirement.Singh also criticised the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, alleging that it would promote corporate interests in education, encourage school mergers and weaken teachers’ service security. He claimed the policy also linked promotions and annual increments to examinations instead of seniority.He urged teachers to unite against what he termed anti-teacher policies and assured continued support from Punjab teachers.Singh also condemned Delhi Police for withdrawing permission for the proposed rally at Jantar Mantar and criticised the BJP-led Madhya Pradesh govt over alleged mass arrests of teachers to prevent them from attending the protest.
