TET hurdle for middle, high school teachers

CHENNAI: In order to comply with provisions of the Right to Education Act, Graduate Assistants (those teaching classes VI-VIII) in all middle schools, high and higher secondary schools will henceforth be recruited after conducting the Teacher Eligibility Test, as against the existing eligibility criteria that the applicant shall qualify with a minimum qualification of BEd. For Secondary Grade Teachers (those teaching classes I-V), statewide seniority in the Employment Exchange Registration will continue to be followed till the disposal of a Special Leave Petition pending in the Supreme Court.These changes follow the rule of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), the academic authority appointed by the Indian Government for the act, that all teachers in elementary education should have passed the Teacher Eligibility Test. Those teachers who currently do not possess the qualification should acquire the same in five years.Also, the state government has, in another Government Order issued on November 15, clarified the modality of reimbursing to private schools the cost of educating 25 percent students in the neighbourhood from disadvantaged and weaker sections of society.The Right To Education Act mandates that all private schools earmark at least 25 percent of their seats to students in the neighbourhood, the cost for which will be reimbursed by the State government.In its order, the government has clarified that it will reimburse to these schools, either the expenditure incurred by the State government in government schools for a student, or the fee fixed under the fee fixation committee, whichever is lesser.