Former Union Minister and ex city MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal has questioned the Government for calling elementary teachers, as "untrained" by the department of school education and literacy, MHRD, on the ground that they do not have minimum qualification to teach elementary classes as required under the Right to Education Act. He said new conditions of service cannot be introduced retrospectively.

The MHRD has given them a last chance to register for acquiring minimum qualification, that is diploma in elementary education, a two-year-long programme. Failing to do so, the process to terminate their services will be initiated, the circular stated. With September 15 being the last date for them to apply, they will be utilizing Teachers' Day to register.

Bansal condemned the move by the MHRD saying that these teachers are already graduates and postgraduates with B.Ed.  and M.Ed. degrees as per the guidelines and conditions of service. He said that it is an unjust move by the ministry and will only create difficulties for the teachers already working and rather hamper their work.

Further he said that the teachers have experience of more than 30 years in teaching 1 to V classes. It is just going to demoralize the teachers who have spent a lifetime, teaching students and may be nearing retirement. Such a stipulation is understandable for new recruits. Even a regular in-service training for upgrading their skills would be understandable not effecting an eligibility criteria retrospectively, Bansal said.

The former MP also said that some of the teachers are far more qualified than the requirements for teaching the elementary students and have polished their skills near to perfection over the years. The kids taught by them are working in different fields and all of a sudden, teachers can't be tagged as untrained and forced to go through certain courses at this late stage.