Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 4: The State High Court today directed the Government to come with stand on issue of screening test to Rehber-e-Taleem teachers and expressed concern over the street protests by teachers.
The court directed the counsel representing Government, Advocate Mehfooz Nazki (AAG), to seek instruction in this regard and posted the matter for further consideration tomorrow.
Counsel representing petitioners submit before the court that the order issued by the Government for screening test of Rehber-e-Taleem teachers is not in tune with the court directions.
The counsel submitted that court had directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee to look into such type of degrees obtained from various study centers, tuck shops and universities which are not recognized and have caused hazards to the society.
“The committee shall be responsible to find out all such degrees/certificates issued in favour of such candidates who stand selected as ReT/Teachers and ask ‘this class of teachers’ to sit in a screening test to ascertain as to whether they are in a position to teach the students”, court had directed.
Petitioner counsel submitted before the court that the direction of the court is not applied to all teachers but to a certain class of teachers who have obtained their degrees from the institutions which are not recognized.
He submitted that he is not averse of the screening test but the test must be as is contained in court direction as the petitioners have obtained their degrees through distance mode with recognized universities like Kashmir University, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Jammu University.
Petitioners are aggrieved of direction (a) contained in the Government order No. 631-Edu of 2015 dated 29.12.2015 where-under sanction has been accorded to the introduction of screening test to assess teaching ability.
“ReT/RReTs who have obtained degrees from study centers/distance mode which have been reckoned at the time of engagement as ReT”, reads the direction of Government order.
With these submissions court observed to Government Counsel to go by the judgment. “You go by the judgment in letter and spirit as whatever is contained in the judgment”, Justice MH Attar observed.
Court expressed its serious concern over the act of teachers by protesting on streets on the issue. “Going on streets with protest suggests that they have fake certificates. This is not the way to get their grievances redressed. What will be the impact of this act on the students? If they have any grievance, they have remedy to come to the court of law”, court observed.
Court in the month of May last year had directed for screening test when one of the teachers namely Faisal Ahmad Khan was asked to write an essay on ‘Cow’ in open court which he fails to do so.
The Jammu & Kashmir Rehber-e-Taleem Teachers Forum through its chairman and Secretary have approached the court with the grievance that the direction (a) contained in the Government order dated 29.12.15 be quashed.
They further pray that the respondents be restrained from giving effect to the impugned order unless formal list of candidates who have obtained their degrees either though study center or by way of fraud is not prepared and published as per the mandate of judgment.
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