the goan I network
PORVORIM
A group of DEd candidates from the unreserved category who were not selected to the post of primary teachers have demanded scrapping of the selection process, after accusing the education department of injustice to them by pushing 30 candidates from the reserved category into the unreserved category.
They have now threatened to approach the court and obtain a stay on the recruitment of primary teachers.
Social activist Swati Kerkar and a group of aggrieved candidates from the unreserved category had assembled outside the Assembly Complex on Thursday, awaiting a call from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who had given them an appointment at 11 am.
The candidates then received a message from the CM’s office that he would be willing to meet only 4-5 candidates without Kerkar. The unhappy candidates then refused to meet the chief minister in the absence of Kerkar.
Later speaking to reporters, Kerkar said she had sought the CM’s appointment to discuss the issue of candidates in the unreserved category.
“I was given an appointment at 11 am. Accordingly, I had come to the assembly complex along with the candidates. The very fact that the
chief minister refuses to meet me indicates that selection of primary teachers has not been done as per rules,” said Kerkar.
“Besides, even though 91 posts were initially advertised in the unreserved category, only 67 posts have been filled and of these 67 posts, 30 posts have been allotted to candidates from the reserved category.”
“Thus in effect, only 37 candidates from the unreserved category have found place in the final list. This is great injustice by education department towards candidates of the unreserved category,” said Kerkar.
Kerkar also said the education department had not clarified as to why the remaining 24 posts in the unreserved category were not filled up.
The aggrieved candidates in the unreserved category demanded the scrapping of entire selection process of primary teachers.
One such candidate, Gouri Josalkar, said she had passed her D Ed exam in 2011 and has been waiting for a job since the last eight years.
“Similarly, candidates who had passed their D Ed in 2002 have also not got jobs. When we approached former director of education G Bhat, we were assured that candidates who passed exams earlier would be given preference.”
“But the education department has not honoured its their commitment and candidates who have recently passed the examination have been given preference,” said Josalkar.
Josalkar claimed that when they apply for jobs in private educational institutions, their applications are not considered and preference is given to BEd students.
“Some private educational institutions even demand donations. The government has done injustice to us. Now, the only option left for us is to approach the court and obtain a stay on the recruitment of primary teachers,” Josalkar added.
