878 teachers and headmasters, working in government schools across the Telangana state, might soon be charge and face termination, after it found out that they acquire jobs through bogus certificates.
The highest numbers of teachers i.e. 300 with fake degrees are from Medak district. Most of the teachers are said to be still in service, especially around the city’s outskirts area such as Vikarabad and Saroornagar.
“If the charges are proved then they would have to face stringent action which can include termination of their service and initiation of criminal charges,” said T Chiranjeevulu, director, school education department.
A recent RTI appeal by a city-based civil society brought to notice how several teachers used fake degree and masters certificates to secure jobs. “A government teacher job has become very attractive. There is no sense of insecurity, besides pay being decent, no wonder then people go to any length to get the job, “said renowned educationist Prof G Haragopal.
The government should speed up the probe and take the sternest possible action against the fake teachers. We cannot entrust the future of hundreds of students to teachers without the right credentials. Action should also be taken against universities if found guilty in this diabolical practice, added Harigopal.
The officials concerned say that there is a complex ring of operators who supply fake certificates to those who are in dire need of jobs. They usually copy the mark sheets of students studying in these universities and then replace the name with that of their clients.
Mostly certificates of B.Ed and MA (English Lit) from such institutions as IGNOU and Bangalore University were forged by the unscrupulous elements. Some teachers even got away with forging certificates of different Vidhyapeeths that are not competent to issue certificates.