Govt considering proposal of exam based promotions in SED

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir government is mulling introducing a procedure wherein the promotion of teachers, masters, lecturers, administrators and officers in the School Education Department Jammu and Kashmir shall be done via examination base.
Once introduced, the procedure will change the decade-long scheme of promotions in the education department, which is entirely based on seniority of service and minimum acquired qualifications.
Reports suggest that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the senior officials at the Education Department are not pleased with things that have taken place with promotions of teachers, administrators, and officers in the department. And the kind of result is shown by teachers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The LG Sinha administration feels that scores of teachers, masters, lecturers and officials are not giving a positive result, impacting the education level in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reports also say that Chief Secretary (CS) Jammu and Kashmir Arun Kumar recently hinted at examination-based promotions in Education Department during an interaction with teachers at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Convention Centre, Srinagar.
An official who was part of the meeting told TNN that there are several factors behind bringing this procedure to the Jammu and Kashmir Education Department. Adding that, he said that one of the factors is that the government wants to streamline the education department and change the old tradition of promoting teachers merely on the seniority of service.
The official further said that the other point is that several Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers (appointed under RTE Act) were 12th pass when they were inducted into the teaching profession. But, over time, they were promoted to higher positions, even though their performance remains below par.
The official said that, in turn, has affected education in Jammu and Kashmir. Adding that, he said, “Same goes with other teachers, master, lecturers, who no doubt are well qualified. But they have failed to set a benchmark in their teaching career, which the government is unwilling to tolerate at any level.
“The directions from the administration led by LG Manoj Sinha are extremely clear that there shall be a compromise regarding education,” he added. The official added that the education department is working on the said procedure that is set to be completed in a month or so.
Meanwhile, a memorandum has been sent to Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta by Teachers Delegation, School Education Department over “Introduction of Departmental Examination-based scheme of promotions in School Education Department”, a copy of which lies with The News Now.
In the memorandum, the delegation said, “If the government is serious about the quality of education in schools, it is inevitable to reform the present promotion mechanism in the department. In the absence of this reform, every step whatsoever taken by the government will yield no results as is evident from the present scenario shown by surveys and data, already available in the public domain”.
The mechanism can be akin to the departmental examination system for every promotion as being practiced by the central school systems like Kendriya/Navodya Vidhyalas, most of the educationally forward states/UTs like Kerala, Mizoram, Chandigarh, Haryana, etc. The scheme for such a system can be copied from any of the above systems/states with local modifications, wherever required, it read.
“The scheme of departmental examination-based promotions for the elevation of teachers, masters, lecturers, administrators, and officers in our department will go a long way in promoting talent, quality, and efficiency of human resources in our department”, the delegation said.
“The present scheme of promotions, entirely based on seniority of service and minimum acquired qualifications, has not only degraded the quality of a teaching-learning process in our schools, but it has also downgraded the morale of competent and capable teachers to the bottom,” the memorandum read.
The delegation has suggested a pattern for departmental examination, one of which includes that there need to be five compulsory papers for the examination, which include General English and Aptitude: (Matric standard). ii. General awareness/GK/Gen Science: (Matric Standard). iii. Child psychology/Education system: (B Ed Standard) iv. Teaching techniques and pedagogy: (B Ed standard) and v. School management and administration.
“Depending upon the nature of the post, the sixth subject must be optional in nature and includes the specialties required for such duties. i. Promotion to the master post shall require an optional subject of one’s choice like Maths/English/Urdu/SST/Gen Science/Kashmiri. The standard must be of graduate level. ii. Promotion to lecturer shall require optional subject at PG level with PG standard. For example, English for Lecturer in English. iii. Promotion to administrative post like Headmaster, Principal, ZEO and above shall require to pass an additional optional subject that comprises of Service rules and Financial code (CSR and others)”, it read.
Updated On 8/2/2022 7:15:17 AM

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