The Bombay High Court has ruled that teachers who began their careers with a Diploma in Education are eligible for promotion, ending years of stagnation. The judgment, delivered in a case filed by a Dadar-based teacher, directs that prior teaching experience be counted and grants consequential benefits, benefiting thousands of educators across Maharashtra.

A recent Bombay High Court judgment has paved the way for the promotion of high school teachers who began their careers with a Diploma in Education (DEd), ending years of stagnation for educators whose early service was not counted for advancement.

Case Filed by Dadar Teacher

The ruling came in a petition filed by Dilip Aware, a teacher at Balmohan Vidyamandir, Dadar, who challenged the denial of promotion despite decades of service and the later acquisition of higher qualifications.

Teaching While Studying

For decades, lakhs of teachers across Maharashtra joined schools after passing the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) by enrolling in DEd courses. Many continued their education while teaching due to financial and social constraints.

“At the time, we did not have the means to complete Class 12 and directly pursue a bachelor’s degree. We studied while teaching,” Aware said.

Experience Earlier Ignored

Aware began teaching in 1992 after completing his DEd and later earned a BA and BEd. However, six years of experience gained before completing his BEd were not considered for promotion, keeping him in Category F, the entry-level classification.

“Without this court case, there was no scope for me to become a supervisor or headmaster even after serving till 2025,” he said.

Flawed Promotion Rules

Under the Maharashtra Employees of Private Schools (Conditions of Service) Regulation Act, 1977, teachers are classified from Category F to Category A, with Category A being the headmaster and Category C covering supervisory roles. Until now, a BEd was treated as the sole eligibility criterion for promotion, irrespective of prior teaching experience.

Others Faced Similar Injustice

Another teacher, Varsha Ghag, said the policy impacted even highly qualified educators. “Teachers with MPhil and PhD degrees were denied promotions because their early service was ignored,” she said.

Ghag, who began teaching in 1984 after obtaining a DEd, later completed her bachelor’s and BEd degrees but was denied the headmaster’s post despite being the senior-most teacher.

Court Orders Category Upgrade

In its final judgment on a petition filed in 2017, the High Court directed that Aware be placed in Category C and granted all consequential monetary benefits.

The ruling is expected to benefit thousands of teachers whose promotions were stalled due to a rigid interpretation of eligibility rules.