That most of institutes in Tamil Nadu, training aspirant schoolteachers, did not see even a single student of theirs clearing the Central Teachers Eligibility Test (CTET) only exposes the slide in standards of teaching in the state, which has the distinction of being a pioneer in education. If the data compiled by the Central Board of Secondary Education does not serve as a wake up call to all stakeholders in the sector, the state may slip into an abyss with the repute of its educational institutions plummeting further, hampering the progress of the nation itself. To initiate the process of fixing the problem, where should one place the blame for the large-scale failure in cracking CTET? On the institutes and their methods? Or on the candidates for lack of intellectual capability and flair for the job?
The government and educationists in the business of training teachers should find out why their students flunk the examination conducted at the national level. If there is anything in the syllabus or teaching procedures that is out of sync with the system followed by the Centre, it should be quickly addressed. In the event of trainers being found to be lacking the expertise to prepare students for the test, remedial measures should be taken. But if the cause for such abysmal performance at the CTET is attributed to the lack of appropriate talents and flair for teaching among the aspirants, the government has to step in to bring about changes in the education system from the school level itself so that the state would be able to produce good quality school teachers at least in future.
The country cannot progress without competent schoolteachers, who alone can lay the foundation for and shape academic careers. Such teachers need to be equipped with skills to impart knowledge and also identify latent talents in students and enable them to realise their full potential. As of now, we learn that we do not have the wherewithal to produce such teachers.