MADURAI: Taking cognizance of a news report in The New Indian Express titled ‘Over 50K teacher aspirants likely to miss TET this year’, which appeared in these columns on April 5, the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) in its latest notification announced that students who are presently in their second year can apply for the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) by submitting their bona fide certificates.
The article had said that the last date to apply for the recruitment exam is April 13 and there is little chance for the results to be released before that. Those who studied Diploma in Elementary Education can apply for TET paper I to teach Classes 1 to 5 in government and government-aided schools, while BEd undergraduates can apply for paper II for handling Classes 6 to 10. Second-year BEd students are also eligible to apply for the test by uploading their first-year mark list.
The pandemic and lockdown had delayed the BEd students’ first-year exams and it was conducted in February this year. Their course has now neared completion, and they might still miss the Teacher Eligibility Test this time. Students urged Chief Minister MK Stalin and Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy to look into this issue.
Officials of the TRB said special arrangements have been made on the online portal for the benefit of the BEd, and Diploma in Teacher Education final-year students to apply for the examination. Final-year students can apply by producing a bona fide certificate.