The recent Government Order by the School Education Department has drawn a mixed response from several taking the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) today.
The GO awarded weightage to marks scored in the higher secondary examination, degree as well as the Teacher Eligibility Test for selection and recruitment of secondary grade teachers and graduate assistants.
According to the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), 20,043 new candidates and over six lakh candidates who did not clear the first TET will be appearing for Sunday’s examination. The mode of assessment has irked mostly senior teachers who secured their degrees more than a decade ago.
G. Lalitha, who has over 15 years of experience as a teacher is attempting Paper II, which is meant for those who intend to teach classes VI to VIII. “Other than the fact that TET does not take seniority and experience into account, it also puts several who wrote their exams a decade ago on par with those who wrote is as recently as two years back,” she said. “But, at least it was announced before the date of the examination,” she added. She, however, appreciated the government’s move to conduct the examination for the second time.
R. Selvaraj, who cleared Paper I in the first TET conducted in July and will be re-appearing for Paper II on Sunday, welcomes this move. “I secured over 90 per cent in my higher secondary examination and passed my B.Ed in first class recently. Though I cleared Paper I, I am working harder to clear Paper II, and hope to get through,” he said, adding that it is a better option than giving complete weightage to TET, which is only a qualifying examination.
B. Madhavan, complains that with the mushrooming of several private teacher training institutions, those who secured seats in government teacher training institutions through merit should be given some position of advantage.
“I studied in government institutions and got admission into all of them though merit, but it is relatively easier to get a seat in a private teacher training college which is opening up in huge numbers. The marks awarded too cannot be weighed in the same scale,” he lamented.
While graduate assistants will be selected on the basis of the weightage of marks scored in TET, Degree and B.Ed, secondary grade teachers would be appointed based on the weightage of marks in TET, D.T.Ed/ Diploma in Elementary Education examination as well as State-wide seniority as the case is pending with the Supreme Court. Also, in case more than one candidate has the same mark, the date of birth will be one of the determinants for secondary grade teachers. The TRB was directed to conduct TET for the second time following the poor performance of candidates in the maiden TET conducted on July 12.
