DESAM demands
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 21 2024:
The Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has come out strongly against the recruitment notification of 1140 pre-primary teachers under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
Addressing a press conference at DESAM office at Kwakeithel, Mayengbam Somorjit, president, DESAM HO has laid down three key demands in this connection.
The DESAM president has urged the State Government to set up National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) recognized pre-primary teacher training institutes and suspend the notification for the recruitment of 1140 pre-primary teachers until these centres are established.
Secondly, he called for the dismissal/replacement of the Education Commissioner, Director and other officials concerned who offered their expertise and advice on the recruitment process.
The Education Minister has also allegedly failed to launch the 4-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in the State, as long demanded by DESAM, he said.
During the press conference, the DESAM president also accused the Education Department of repeatedly modifying the recruitment rules of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan during the process to recruit 1140 pre-primary teachers as a means to gain public favour in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
As per the Right to Education Act 2009, teachers have to complete the necessary and required training to be eligible as "educators", he added.
Stating that DESAM is firmly against the recruitment of 1140 pre-primary teachers which violates the recruitment guidelines, he maintained that one cannot be appointed as a teacher without the required pre-primary teachers' training.
Pointing out the importance of pre-primary teacher training institutes under NCTE, he added that according to NEP 2020 pre-primary education extends for a period of five years and no such training institutes have been set up in the State.