Candidates in a spot as TET and BEd exams fall on same date

As per the notification given by the Tamil Nadu Teacher’s Recruitment Board (TNTRB), the paper one of TET will be held on June 8. Similarly, Tamil Nadu Education University (TNEU), which conducts BEd exams for teachers, also announced several exams for first-year and second-year students on the same day.

Conducting TET in the State assumes significance as the TN government had made it clear that thousands of teachers, including those working in government schools, should complete TET or otherwise face action. The government move came after 1,500 teachers working in government-aided schools did not complete TET despite giving grace time of more than seven years.

In accordance with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had made TET a mandatory requirement to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in Classes 1 to 8.

Soon after the TET notification, about 6.04 lakh candidates, including 1,500 government aided teachers who did not complete TET within the stipulated time, applied for the examination.

However, the 1,500 government aided teachers without TET, will not be affected due to the BEd exam clash. A total of 1.83 lakh candidates who have applied for TET paper one, which will be held on June 8, are in the spot.

Sources from TNTRB said that though the qualification to appear for TET first paper is Class 12, many BEd students have also applied for TET.

Tamil Nadu Education University sources said that it would prepone or postpone the exam on June 8 for the benefit of the TET candidates.

However, there was no official notification from the university in connection with the change of exam time table. Students have appealed to the university that rescheduling the exam to afternoon would not be helpful and it will be difficult to travel from TET centre to BEd exam centre.