Education department of Uttarakhand has set up a higher minimum educational qualification for Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) certificate than that prescribed by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE).
The Ramnagar based Uttarakhand Vidhyalayi Shiksha Parishad (UVSP) had recently released an advertisement for a screening examination for selection of 650 candidates for two year D.El.Ed course in which a minimum qualification of graduate in any discipline is required. However, the apex body of teacher education in India, the NCTE has kept a minimum qualification of XII pass (intermediate) for being eligible for D.El.Ed. Moreover the States of like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Haryana have also kept intermediate as minimum qualification for this diploma course triggering resentment among the unemployed of Uttarakhand.
Anil Rawat, a Dehradun based social worker has brought this glaring disparity to the notice of media and UVSP. In a letter written to the secretary of UVSP, he said that the unemployed youths of the State are feeling let down by the State’s education department for keeping a higher minimum qualification than required. He said that this decision of the education department has adversely affected thousands of intermediate qualified youths who were planning to become primary teachers.
When contacted, the Secretary of UVSP, R D Sharma told The Pioneer that an amendment was made in the teacher service rules in the year 1996, in which it was decided that the minimum qualification for primary teacher would be graduation. He said that prior to 1996 the minimum qualification for primary teacher was intermediate. Sharma said UVSP is following the norms while conducting the D.El.Ed entrance examinations.
The State education department is offering D.El.Ed certificate at 13 District Institutes Education and Training (DIET) which have 50 seats each. The first batch of the candidates selected in the year 2014 would pass out this year. It is worth mentioning here that the NCTE has mandated a two year D.El.Ed course for being eligible to teach in primary schools. Prior to this candidates having Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree were recruited as primary teachers. After doing the D.El.Ed the candidates aiming to become primary teachers should clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) level I examination.