Teachers of private schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), aspiring to be school principals, will have to appear for a Principal Eligibility Test (PET), the Board has said.
Current school principals will also be required to take the test. The amendment to the CBSE affiliation bye-laws, however, does not apply to government schools.
“Consequent upon the recommendations of the Affiliation Committee and ratified by the Governing Body…, the Board has decided to conduct the Principal Eligibility Test (PET) for aspiring teachers to become principal and for existing principals, who fulfil the minimum qualifications of Principal,” says the new amendment in the CBSE’s affiliation by-laws.
The latest amendment follows an amendment giving State governments and the CBSE an effective veto in the appointment of private school principals.
As per the new amendment, a person on the selection committee, with experience in school administration or an educationist, will be appointed by the managing committee in consultation with CBSE.
Two or more persons — a person nominated by the CBSE and nominee(s) of respective State governments as per the State Education Act — will also be on the panel. The amendment also states that “recommendations of the selection committee shall invariably have concurrence” of the last two categories of members on the committee.
Thus, no candidate rejected by the CBSE or State government representatives can be appointed as principal.
