Why repeat bridge course after valid training, primary school teachers ask! Have raised.
State Bureau, Jagran, Prayagraj. The instruction to conduct a new bridge course for teachers who have been appointed in primary schools after completing a six-month bridge course in the 2017–19 session conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has become a cause of controversy. There is no clarity in the instructions for previously trained teachers.
Last date of registration 25 December 2025
The question is that when the training done with the permission of the regulatory body was valid, then why is re-training being made mandatory after years? At the same time, in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) has started a six-month Primary Teacher Education (Bridge) course. The last date for registration has been fixed as 25 December 2025. There are about 35 thousand B.Ed teachers in the state, who will have to do this course.
Teachers under confusion and mental pressure
Due to the binding condition of declaring them as 'untrained teachers' in the online process, 69,000 B.Ed qualified teachers of council primary schools are in confusion and mental pressure. Teachers have sent letters to the Chief Minister, Basic Education Minister, Director of Education and Director General of School Education demanding exemption from the bridge course and clarification of the situation. These teachers were appointed on the basis of NCTE's notification dated June 28, 2018.
What is the logic of the teachers?
All these teachers were already employed in primary schools before the decision of the Supreme Court on 28 November 2023. At that time the PDPET Bridge Course had prior approval of NCTE and was conducted as a valid training through NIOS. On making bridge course mandatory, teachers argue that when any training has been done under the permission and monitoring of the regulatory body itself, then why is training being imposed again after years?
Said to be against the right to natural justice and equality
It was not made clear in the orders as to what would be the treatment for teachers who have already done the bridge course. Thousands of teachers are confused due to this ambiguity. It is alleged that in the online application, a self-declaration of 'I am an untrained teacher' is being forcibly taken from them. Apart from being insulting, it is also against natural justice and the right to equality. Do not be confused, the government should clarify the situation.
It has been repeatedly clarified from the official helpline of NIOS that the candidates who have done the bridge course of 2017–19 are not required to do the new bridge course. The teachers have demanded to declare the bridge course completed by NIOS in 2017–19 as completely valid and final. There is a demand to immediately abolish the binding condition of declaring pre-trained teachers as 'untrained'.
The conditions are clear in the guidelines issued for appointment
A clear condition was included in the guidelines issued for the appointment of 69 thousand teachers. It was said that after appointment, it will be mandatory for the candidates having the qualification of B.Ed and D.El.Ed (Special Education) to complete a six-month special training program in elementary education recognized by NCTE. Despite this, the department did not comply with this condition and appointed the teachers in the full pay scale without completing the training. Teachers continued to provide regular services for about four years, but the process of mandatory training was not started.
Bridge course will be in open and distance learning mode
It is now mandatory for B.Ed qualified assistant teachers working in council primary schools to do bridge course. Basic Education Director Pratap Singh Baghel has instructed all the District Basic Education Officers to instruct the B.Ed qualified teachers working in their respective districts to register on time. This bridge course will be conducted in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.
If the course is not completed then the appointment of the concerned teacher is invalid.
The court has clarified that the service of B.Ed teachers appointed before August 11, 2023, who have been appointed under the rules, will be safe, but the bridge course will be mandatory. If the course is not completed within the stipulated time, the appointment of the concerned teacher will be considered invalid. Teachers can apply for registration on the website http://bridge.nios.ac.in. In case of any technical issue, assistance can be taken through email at bridgesupport@nios.ac.in. NIOS has fixed the registration fee for the bridge course at Rs 1,000 and the examination fee at Rs 24,000.
The course will be conducted through online medium
This bridge course will be conducted through online medium. It includes topics like child development and educational psychology, curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, language teaching, pedagogy of mathematics, pedagogy of the world around us and the experience of schools. It will be mandatory to complete this course of total 20 credits. At the same time, some teachers' organizations say that earlier no fee was charged from the teachers for the bridge course, but now with the fixing of registration and examination fees, the financial burden on the teachers will increase.