New exam for teacher aspirants opposed

Like the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the School Education Department recently issued orders that school teacher aspirants will have to appear competitive exams before clearing TET.

Tamil Nadu Teachers Association (TNTA) and Tamil Nadu State Platform for Common School System (SPCSC) have condemned the government’s move saying that the authorities were just trying to copy the neighbouring state’s practice.

PK Illamaran, president, TNTA, said that candidates have already completed their BEd course, which is recognized by the government and they have also appeared for TET and there is no reason for the government to conduct a separate competitive test.

“How many exams they will write. It will put too much pressure if they have to write another test after completing two stages,” he said. 

Urging the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Education Minister K A Sengottaiyan to withdraw the government’s decision to conduct the competitive examinations, Illamaran said authorities should stick to the current method to select eligible teachers.

“Completing TET itself proves that the candidate is qualified for teacher’s post. Moreover, many candidates, who successfully completed TET, will be working as a teacher in various schools. Now, if we ask them to write another test for teacher’s qualification, they will be demoralised,” SPCSC president P B Prince Gajendra Babu said.

According to him, teaching quality could be developed only through experience. “Merely appearing for series of exams will not help to get a qualified teacher,” he added.