Punjab Promotes Teachers Without Subject Expertise: Questions Raised Over ‘Flawed’ Rules

Expertise Advance to Senior Positions

Punjab has recently promoted 227 master cadre teachers, who previously taught classes 6 to 10, to the position of commerce lecturers for classes 11 and 12. However, many of these promoted teachers lack the necessary subject expertise, having not studied commerce during their graduation. For instance, these teachers include 92 who previously taught mathematics, 48 each from social studies and science, and 39 from languages. The promotions were granted based on their postgraduate degrees (M.Com), often obtained through distance learning.

Similarly, of the 381 teachers promoted to Punjabi lecturers, over half (194) are from other subjects, including 124 from social studies. Many of these lecturers did not study Punjabi as an elective during their graduation or opt for “Teaching in Punjabi” during their B.Ed., which is a prerequisite for teaching Punjabi to classes 6 to 10. In English, of 301 promotions, 298 teachers come from non-English backgrounds, including 102 from social sciences who had previously taught English to fill gaps. Most did not study English as an elective during their graduation or as a teaching subject in their B.Ed. They have been promoted after obtaining a Masters in English via distance learning, while only three qualified English teachers received promotions in their own subject.

The issue lies with the Punjab Educational Service Rules Group B (amended in 2018), which permits inter-subject promotions based solely on seniority and the attainment of a postgraduate degree in the subject, including via distance learning. The rules do not require teachers to have studied the subject during graduation or as a teaching subject in B.Ed., nor do they specify a minimum pass percentage for the postgraduate degree.

Teachers argue that these rules are flawed, as they allow teachers without relevant subject expertise to be promoted to senior positions. They suggest implementing basic proficiency tests for language subjects before promotions are granted. The current rules are seen as contradictory to the requirements for direct recruitment, which mandates specific educational qualifications and teaching experience in the relevant subject.

The recent promotion orders clarify that only those who obtained their postgraduate degrees via distance learning before June 27, 2013, when the UGC notified its policy on territorial jurisdiction, were considered for promotion.
Science teachers, who faced barriers in pursuing postgraduate degrees in their field due to the lack of distance learning options in Punjab, have also been affected. They have had to pursue postgraduate studies in other subjects to meet promotion requirements.