Bihar govt suspends training for teachers midway amid row over Durga Puja holidays

Patna: The Bihar government on Tuesday suspended a residential training programme for teachers of state-run schools midway amid protests claiming that it would deprive them of the Durga Puja holidays.

The residential training programme began on Monday, and would have continued till October 21, according to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

"The SCERT has decided to suspend the earlier scheduled residential training of teachers, from October 16 to October 21, for certain unavoidable reasons. The new schedule for the training will be announced later," said the notification issued on Tuesday.

In some districts of the state, the Durga Puja holidays began on Tuesday, while in the other districts, it would begin on October 19, officials said.

Hailing the decision to suspend the training programme, TET Primary Teachers' Association convenor Raju Singh told PTI, "Teachers are jubilant over the Education Department's announcement. We thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for this decision. Now, we want the CM to accord government employee status to the large number of contractual teachers who have been working for years." Last week, Union Minister Giriraj Singh met Governor Rajendra Arlekar over the issue.

"Decision to hold residential training of teachers during Durga Puja by the SCERT of the Education Department is against religious sentiments of Hindu teachers," he had told reporters after the meeting.