Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the ‘special teachers’ would continue to serve in the same school where they were working before getting the status of state govt employees. They, as of now, would not be transferred to other places, he said.
“The ‘special teachers’, as they are termed after clearing the competency tests, were worried about their new place of postings. We have now decided that these teachers will continue to work at the current place of posting,” Nitish said while addressing an education department function at Adhiveshan Bhavan, where he symbolically handed over appointment letters to more than 1.14 lakh ‘special teachers’, who got the status of state govt employees after clearing the competency test a few months back.
The CM’s announcement would provide relief to more than 2.52 lakh ‘Niyojit’ teachers, who recently cleared the competency tests. After fresh appointment, these Niyojit teachers would be called ‘special teachers’ and enjoy the status of state govt employees.
Addressing the ‘special teachers’, the CM further said his govt always takes decisions in the interest and benefit of the teachers. “Our govt will continue to do so even in the future,” he assured the teachers.
Nitish also said he was working to bring improvement in the field of education, health, law & order, and transportation ever since November 2005, when he first came to power in the state.
He said more than 3.67 lakh Niyojit teachers were appointed in the govt-run schools in FY 2006-07 to reduce the shortage of teachers in the state. In 2023, when the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) appointed regular teachers, around 28,000 Niyojit teachers passed the commission’s examination and became regular teachers.
“In 2023 itself, the state govt decided to conduct a competency test to enable the Niyojit teachers to become ‘special teachers’ and attain the status of state govt employees. Each Niyojit teacher will be given five opportunities to clear the competency test. So far, two competency tests have been conducted and over 2.52 lakh Niyojit teachers cleared the test,” Nitish said.
He further asked the education department officials to hold the remaining three competency tests at the earliest.
Earlier on Tuesday, the state govt put on hold its new transfer policy for schoolteachers, hours after the Patna high court directed the education department to file a reply within six weeks while hearing the writ petition of some teachers.
