A good number of teachers in primary and upper primary government schools are keen on making career progression through direct recruitment for the administrative post of Block Educational Officer (BEO) to be conducted by Teachers' Recruitment Board.
The nomenclature of BEO was fixed for the hitherto existing Assistant Elementary Educational Officer at the start of this academic year after the administrative revamp that witnessed abolition of the posts of District Elementary Educational Officers and Inspectors of Matriculation Schools.
An assistant headmaster in a panchayat union middle school said the direct recruitment of BEO through conduct of examination conducted by Teachers' Recruitment Board was a wonderful opportunity for rapid upward mobility.
Otherwise, teachers with the necessary qualification will be required to wait till they become the headmasters of the middle schools and thereafter attain seniority to reach the post.
Though the examination for direct recruitment to the administrative post is being conducted since 2009, the desire of candidates with the eligible qualification of undergraduation and a B.Ed. degree to appear for the exam has risen owing to the change in nomenclature from AEEO to BEO, school heads said.
The administrative revamp was carried out with a view to bringing about qualitative transformation in the teaching-learning and delivery mechanism at the primary and upper primary levels, a senior official said.
The direct recruitment of BEO, teachers in primary and upper primary schools say, is a motivating factor for them to keep themselves updated in their respective subjects.
Out of 150 marks in the OMR (optical mark reading) based exam of three hour duration, 110 is for the main subject, 30 for educational technology, and 10 for general knowledge.
The notice for direct recruitment of 57 AEEOs / BEOs was released during the first week of June after a gap of a few years. The exam is slated for September 15.
The BEO post is seen to have gained stature since the officials in the cadre have the authority to inspect sixth to eighth standards in all the schools, including high and higher secondary schools in their respective blocks.
From ninth standard onwards till Plus Two, the inspection is carried out by District Educational Officers.
But, being a BEO does not mean a direct upward mobility to the post of DEO.
The BEOs, on promotion, have to assume the post of High School HMs, Chief Educational Officer M. Ramakrishnan said.
The BEOs can subsequently assume administrative post of DEO only based on seniority at the level of High School HMs, he said.
