The State education department is planning to introduce a competitive examination for recruitment of primary teachers in the Government schools of the State.
In Uttarakhand the primary teachers are recruited by a process of merit based selection in which the year of clearing the qualifying examination like degree of BEd is the most important basis of selection. The department holds competitive examinations for lecturers and lecturer Teachers (lTs).
The Primary education Director, Seema Jaunsari said that the department has sent a proposal to the State Government for holding a competitive examination for the posts of primary teachers. She said that better teachers would be selected by introduction of examination and the aim of improvement in quality of education would be fulfilled.
The candidates who have Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) and have cleared level I of the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) examination would be eligible for the proposed examination.
It is pertinent to mention here that the apex body of teacher education, the
National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) has clearly directed that the BEd candidates are now not eligible to teach in the primary schools and mandated that only candidates with DElEd and TET level I qualification should be appointed as primary teachers.
The DElEd is for a period of two years and in the state the District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs) are
offering this course. In the DIETs of State only 650 candidates are at present enrolled while the numbers of vacant posts of primary teachers are in excess of 2,000.
The experts believe that the introduction of competitive examination for recruitment of primary teachers is a welcome sign. A retired Government school Principal, US Gusain said that almost all the States barring Uttarakhand follow the pattern of competitive examination for recruitment of primary teachers. He added that more talented and young teachers would now be able to get appointed as teachers which would definitely give a fillip to quality of teaching in the Government primary schools.