Lucknow: Around 70,000 teachers working in Uttar Pradesh’s government run primary and upper primary schools could be promoted after nearly a decade, bringing potential relief to thousands of teachers whose career progression has remained stalled for years.
The Basic Education Department has reportedly begun preparations for the long awaited promotion exercise, with district authorities asked to prepare seniority lists of eligible teachers. The lists are expected to be submitted to the Basic Education Council by October 23, after which the next stages of the promotion process are likely to begin.
The proposed exercise could benefit teachers who have been waiting for promotion since around 2016. The process is expected to cover both primary and upper primary schools and will depend on seniority, eligibility and the availability of sanctioned posts.
Under the proposed promotion structure, primary school assistant teachers may be considered for appointment as head teachers of primary schools or as assistant teachers in upper primary schools. Similarly, eligible primary school head teachers and upper primary assistant teachers may be considered for promotion to head teacher posts in upper primary schools.
Seniority Lists to Decide Eligibility
Preparing and verifying seniority lists will be one of the first major steps in the process. District Basic Education Officers have been asked to compile the records of eligible teachers and forward the lists within the prescribed deadline.
The department is also expected to follow a digital process, allowing teachers an opportunity to check the seniority information and raise objections if they find discrepancies. Such objections will have to be examined before the final lists are prepared.
The promotion exercise is expected to cover a substantial portion of the state’s council run schools. However, the final number of teachers receiving promotions could change depending on the final seniority lists, eligibility conditions and the number of available posts.
The availability of head teacher positions is also linked to student enrolment and staffing norms applicable to government schools. Consequently, not every teacher included in the initial seniority exercise will necessarily receive a promotion.
Teacher organisations have welcomed the reported move, particularly because promotions have remained pending for several years. The development has also attracted attention because of its timing ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
For teachers, however, the immediate milestone is the October 23 deadline for preparation and submission of seniority lists. Once the lists are finalised and objections addressed, the department is expected to move towards the next stage of the promotion process.
If implemented as reported, the exercise could mark a significant development for Uttar Pradesh’s government school teachers after years of uncertainty over their promotions.
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