Mumbai: Students' body backs teachers grounded by BMC's English rule

The aggrieved candidates at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Dadar, on Thursday

Is it wrong to complete school education in Marathi medium in Maharashtra? That too, when the Shiv Sena is in power?" This is the question the Maharashtra Students Union raised as it lent its support to over 250 qualified teachers who have been denied jobs in English medium BMC schools on the grounds that their primary education was in Marathi. The students' body protested in Dadar on Thursday demanding jobs for the candidates.

mid-day on February 11 had reported the plight of 252 job seekers who were shortlisted for placements in English medium civic schools a year ago but have become a victim of what they call an unfair rule. These teachers have cleared the Teachers' Eligibility Test and the Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test, which are the required qualifications.

While the positions include 150 primary and 102 secondary teachers, on verification of their credentials, the BMC told them that they were not eligible as they had not done their schooling from English medium. The candidates say they were shocked since their entire higher education was through English medium.
"This is a bizarre rule by BMC that too in Maharashtra when Shiv Sena is in power. Forget being in power in state government, but in BMC, they have been in power for so long. Yet BMC insisting on such a regulation is unheard of," said Siddharth Ingle, president of the students' body that marched to Shiv Sena Bhavan along with the aggrieved job aspirants.

Ingle said there is no doubt that all the candidates are eligible for teaching jobs. "They come from different parts of Maharashtra and not everybody has the facility to take school education in English medium. This is against the Constitution, especially when these candidates are fulfilling all qualifications, a bizarre rule cannot block them."

One of the candidates said their selection has been withheld despite there being 391 vacancies in BMC schools. "If it [the condition] was so important it should have been mentioned earlier. Now they have given jobs to candidates who featured in later lists," he said, adding that they have been knocking at all possible doors for justice but in vain.

252
No. of candidates affected by the rule