Bengaluru: The Central Board of Secondary Education's directive to in-service primary teachers to attend a six-month bridge course hasn't go down well with them. Several teachers raised concern about the fee of Rs 25,000 charged for the programme.
The directive is for in-service primary school teachers, who were appointed with BEd degree between June 28, 2018, and August 11, 2023. This mandatory training by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is required to validate their employment, as per a Supreme Court order.
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However, teachers said the course comes at a cost of Rs 25,000. "It is no secret that all private school teachers are not so well paid. How can we afford a course fee of that scale for an online course?" asked a teacher.
Sandeep Pai S, chairperson of Bangalore Sahodaya, an association of CBSE schools, said while it is necessary for teachers to upgrade, it should be made available at an affordable cost. "BEd teachers are given training based on subject specialisation that is applicable for class 6 and above. Our logic is that if a teacher is capable of teaching in class 6, she/he can teach grade 1 as well. This is not true as lower classes call for a different set of capabilities.
The training is, therefore, crucial," he said.
"At the same time, when it is made mandatory, training should be given at an affordable cost. We know that salary of a teacher is not uniform in schools. As a one-time measure, the fees should be reduced," he added.
As per NIOS, registration for the course has been extremely low in Karnataka. As of Dec 29, 2025, only 38 teachers in Bengaluru region had paid; across India, 62,657 teachers did so — Prayagraj (31,364), Bhopal (10,322) and Patna (7,627) saw the largest numbers.
The last date for registration has now been extended to March 10.
