NIOS BEd Bridge Course: A six-month course is mandatory to save their teaching jobs; only these teachers will receive relief..

BEd Bridge Course News: Primary teachers in the country with BEd degrees, who were appointed based on the notification issued by the NCTE on June 28, 2018, have been given time until January 31 to save their jobs. If these primary teachers apply for the six-month bridge course on the NIOS portal, they have a chance to complete the course and save their jobs. However, there is relief for teachers with BEd degrees who were appointed later. Let's understand the rules, the course, and the entire matter from experts.

The course will be conducted in online distance learning mode.
After completing the document verification process and fulfilling the eligibility criteria, candidates are registered and receive study materials. This course will be conducted in online distance learning mode. There will also be live video lectures. Teachers taking the course will be required to have 90% attendance, followed by an assessment process. After the exam, an assessment will be conducted by DIET and government intercolleges, a 10-day process. Candidates must score at least 75%. The bridge course was developed after discussions at various levels over a year, covering all components required for primary teaching.

NCTE Chairman Prof. Pankaj Arora (PC-NBT)
This bridge course will be open to those appointed as primary teachers with a B.Ed. degrees between the date of the NCTE notification, June 28, 2018, and the Supreme Court's decision on August 11, 2023. This rule will not apply to those appointed after that date. This process is a one-time process only. He says that all states have been asked to ask for such B.Ed. degree-holding primary teachers appointed in their states to register for the bridge course. -Prof. Pankaj Arora, Chairman, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

NIOS Chairman Prof. Akhilesh Mishra (PC-NBT)
So far, 69,281 in-service primary teachers have registered for the bridge course. The highest number of teachers have applied for the course: 34,602 from Uttar Pradesh, 10,872 from Madhya Pradesh, 8,057 from Bihar, 6,647 from West Bengal, 487 from Himachal Pradesh, and 261 from Delhi. They say that according to an estimate, there are approximately 100,000 primary teachers in the country who fall under the scope of this bridge course. Now, those teachers have been given time until January 31st to apply. -NIOS Chairman Prof. Akhilesh Mishra

What is the whole matter?
On June 28, 2018, the NCTE issued a notification stating that those with B.Ed. Degrees would also be eligible to be primary teachers. Following this, appointments were made across the country. This decision was challenged by the Primary Teachers' Association in the Jodhpur High Court, where the NCTE notification was rejected. Subsequently, those teachers with B.Ed. Degree-holders who had been appointed as primary teachers challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court delivered its verdict.
On August 11, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision. An appeal was subsequently filed, arguing that teachers with B.Ed. Degrees appointed as primary teachers between 2018 and 2023 should be retained, and the decision to prohibit B.Ed. Holders from being appointed as primary teachers should be implemented in the future. The Supreme Court accepted this appeal and, on April 8, 2024, directed the NCTE to create a bridge course for these teachers to provide them with the necessary educational methods for primary teachers.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Navbharat Times. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.