WBTET : Govt moves HC against stay on teacher test
KOLKATA: Four days after the Calcutta high court ordered an interim stay on the recruitment process for 44,000 primary teachers initiated by the state government in October this year, the West Bengal Primary Education Board on Monday moved a division bench of the high court against it. The hearing is likely to be held on Wednesday.
To avoid jeopardizing the careers of 5,450,000 aspirants who are gearing to appear in the primary teachers' recruitment test, the state government has said that it will accept any directive from the high court.
"We have already mentioned that 20 additional marks will be awarded to the trained candidates who will qualify in the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) and are eligible to appear for interview. This will give them an edge over the untrained candidates However, if the court so desires, we will submit an affidavit and mention the same as we have specified in the rules already," said education minister Bratya Basu.
President of West Bengal Primary Education Board, Manik Bhattacharyya, said, "If the court gives an order to make other provisions for the trained candidates in addition to the existing 20 marks bonus, we shall also accept the verdict."
The education minister mentioned in no uncertain terms that the primary objective of the government is to hold the primary teachers' recruitment examination. "We need teachers and thus we are hopeful to hold the test for recruitment," Basu said. However, TET will be compulsory for both trained and untrained candidates.
"We have to obey the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines as well as the central government's order which clearly states that both trained and untrained teachers will have to appear in TET. Giving additional privilege to the trained teachers is then the discretion of the state government," Bhattacharyya said.
He added, "Before distributing the forms, we clearly sought opinion on our website after we decided to make TET compulsory. But no one raised any objection. However, a few trained candidates made applications to get an exemption from TET altogether which is impossible since NCTE has made it compulsory for the aspiring teachers."
Basu pointed out that in 2009 when the primary teachers' recruitment test was held by the earlier government no additional marks were awarded. Basu and Bhattacharyya, however, reiterated that only one TET will be held for both trained and untrained students according to NCTE rules.
On Monday, the education minister also alleged that a few schools were organizing admission tests, going against the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009). "Some are also forcing parents to buy books from the old syllabus instead of handing them new books. REPA will be operational from January. If any complaint is lodged, we shall immediately take action against the school authorities responsible. In extreme cases, we may consider to derecognize the school or inflict penal measures, including imposition of monetary fines," Basu added.
News Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com (18.12.2012) / The Times of India Epaper
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TET is Mandatory and West Bengal Govt. is going to give 20 additional marks to Trained Teacher (may be having degree B.Ed / Diploma etc.) who qualify TET exam.
It looks somebody oppose it and take stay in Highcourt.
