Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has amended its education service rules, a move that is expected to clear the way for promotions and direct recruitment of school principals.

The changes, outlined in the fourth amendment to the Punjab Educational Services (School and Inspection) Group-A Service Rules, 2018, revise the promotion-to-recruitment ratio and ease experience requirements.

The amendment revises the quota for promotions from 50 to 75%, while direct recruitment will now account for 25% of appointments. It also reduces the required experience for lecturers and vocational lecturers from seven to five years and for headmasters from five to four years.

Teachers’ demands

While the changes were welcomed as a step toward resolving a long-standing issue, the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) criticised the govt for keeping the mandatory departmental examination for promotions. The group’s leaders, including its state president Vikramdev Singh, said the previous rules were “undemocratic” and had caused resentment among teachers.

The DTF said it expected the govt to fulfil its promise of completing all principal promotions by Sept 30. They also called for a notification to be issued for the 25% direct recruitment quota, which would help fill more than 900 vacant positions of principal across the state. They also reiterated their demand for the removal of the departmental examination requirement.