Punjab: One-time age relaxation for education providers to compete for regular jobs

The Punjab government on Saturday announced a one-time lowering of the age restriction for volunteers or education providers working under a contract in order to apply for formal positions. Through direct hiring for elementary teacher training (ETT) positions, the initiative aims to provide them with a chance to compete for normal jobs, according to School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains in an official release here.

Education guarantee scheme-alternative and innovative education (EGS-AIE) and special trainer (STR) teachers, according to Bains, have been actively providing their services in government schools under various programmes for a number of years. As many of them had already beyond the age barrier for direct recruitment, Bains noted, they were requesting a waiver of the age limit in order to safeguard their future. The minister claimed to have brought up the issue with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who after giving it some sympathetic thought, ordered the one-time recruitment relaxation. With this change, almost 12,000 volunteers or education providers will be eligible to apply for 5,994 ETT positions based on their prior expertise.

He made it clear that this exception only applied once and would be used to fill 5,994 ETT positions that will soon be available in the administrative department.