Pune: The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has scheduled training for newly appointed teachers under the Pavitra recruitment system from November 4 to 10.

However, as the training coincides with the Diwali holiday period, it has led to dissatisfaction among the teachers, who are now requesting a change in the training schedule.

The education department recently completed the recruitment of over 17,000 teachers across Maharashtra through the Pavitra system. In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, SCERT has planned an induction program for these newly appointed educators.

The training will cover topics common to teachers instructing grades 1 to 8 and grades 9 to 12, with a dedicated seventh day focusing on specific components.

The training is mandatory and will be conducted in an offline mode for teachers from all government, private-aided, partially aided, and local self-government schools throughout the state.

To ensure the complete participation of all newly appointed teachers, the responsibility falls on the principals of the District Education and Training Institutes (DIETs) as well as primary and secondary education officers in each district. SCERT has assured that guidebooks for the training will be made available to each DIET to facilitate the process.

Despite the initiative's intent, the timing of the training is causing conflicts. The State Examination Council has scheduled the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) on November 10, and several newly appointed teachers have registered for it.

Moreover, many teachers, having waited years for employment, have planned weddings during this holiday period. The Election Commission has also scheduled its training on November 10, assigning some of these new teachers as Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

In light of these overlapping responsibilities, Santosh Magar, president of the D.T.Ed and B.Ed Students Association, has appealed to SCERT to reschedule the training sessions to a date after the elections.