The teachers have urged the government to extend the eligibility cut-off date for acquiring higher qualifications under the One-Time Exemption provision from March 15, 2024, to September 30, 2026.
The teachers appealed to the Minister for Education, Sakina Itoo saying their demand was not merely for extending the deadline for submission of documents, but for extending the eligibility cut-off date for acquiring higher qualifications.
They said scores of teachers pursued and completed higher degrees through distance and online modes during their service, making considerable personal and financial efforts to upgrade their academic and professional qualifications.
“Such employees deserve an opportunity to have their qualifications considered under the One-Time Exemption mechanism, subject to verification and fulfilment of the prescribed conditions,” the teachers said.
Notably, J&K School Education Department (SED) earlier issued Government Order No. 188-JK(Edu) of 2024, dated March 15, 2024, providing a one-time exemption mechanism for eligible teaching and other staff who had acquired higher qualifications during service without obtaining prior permission.
The teachers said the benefit of the mechanism should be made more inclusive and aligned with the contemporary educational policy framework, particularly the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places significant emphasis on continuous professional development, lifelong learning and upgradation of teachers’ knowledge and competencies.
“The teachers who voluntarily pursued higher education through recognised distance or online programmes should not be placed at a disadvantage merely because their qualifications were acquired after the existing cut-off date,” the teachers said.
The teachers said extending the cut-off date would enable the department to examine such cases on their individual merits without compromising the prescribed rules and verification requirements.
The teachers urged the Minister for Education to extend the cut-off date for acquiring higher qualifications from March 15, 2024, to September 30, 2026, so that teachers who completed their degrees during this period could be brought within the ambit of consideration.
The teachers said such an extension would be a progressive, equitable and teacher-friendly measure consistent with the spirit of NEP 2020 and the broader objective of strengthening the professional capacity of the teaching workforce.
“Our demand is for a comprehensive extension of the eligibility cut-off date, and not an extension of the document-submission deadline, so that teachers who have invested in higher education and professional development are given a fair opportunity for consideration,” the teachers said.
