B.Ed not valid qualification for primary school teachers, says Supreme Court

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court of India (SC) reaffirmed that a Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) is not a valid qualification for primary school teachers. The apex court reiterated that the essential qualification for primary school teachers’ appointment is a Diploma in Elementary Education.

The bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia delivered the verdict while maintaining its previous ruling in the case of Devesh Sharma vs Union of India (2023 INSC 704).

The bench opined that the fundamental right of primary education in India as guaranteed under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution as well as the Right to Education Act, 2009 not just include ‘free’ and ‘compulsory’ education for children below 14 years of age but also included ‘quality’ education to be imparted to the children.

So, the SC maintained that B.Ed holders would not be able to provide ‘quality’ education as they did not pass the basic pedagogical threshold for teaching primary school students.

However, the Supreme Court directed that its decision would apply prospectively and protected the B.Ed teachers who were appointed before August 11, 2023, LiveLaw reported.

Meanwhile, Odisha CM Mohan Majhi on Teacher’s Day in a major announcement said that the government will recruit 16,010 junior teachers in the state within the next three weeks.

A total of 27,197 teachers will be recruited in the state, stated CM Majhi during the ongoing Budget Session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly on Thursday.