The Lok Sabha passed a Bill that offers untrained teachers teaching in schools time till March 31, 2019, to acquire B.El. Ed (Bachelor of Elementary Education) or D. El. Ed. (Diploma in Elementary Education) qualifications to hold their jobs as teachers.

How it done ?

This was done through an amendment to the Right to Education Act, 2009, as a last chance to such teachers not to lose their jobs. The Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017 Bill will now have to pass muster in the Rajya Sabha — and get presidential assent after that — to become an Act.

Need for the Amendment

• Many new schools had come up in the days of educational expansion under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the RTE.
• Many teachers who were hired did not have requisite degrees, some having studied only till school.
• They were given five years to train themselves, and many did, but 5-6 lakh private schools teachers and 2.5-lakh government school teachers still did not have the requisite degrees.
• Qualifications are deemed necessary to ensure that teachers are well-qualified to ensure quality of education.
• Ninety per cent untrained teachers are from eight States.

Source : The Hindu

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