CHENNAI: Block Resource Teacher Educators (BRTEs) across the state have urged the school education department to conduct transfer counselling before posting surplus BT assistants as BRTEs.
The school education director, in a circular this week, had asked CEOs in districts to fill BRTE vacancies with surplus BT assistants. The last transfer counselling was held in 2021 and many BRTEs were placed in far away places. Due to increase in vacancies since 2014, many BRTEs have been overseeing more than 40 schools, especially in rural areas. This has caused distress, following which many were seeking postings as BT assistants in schools.
An officer from the district school education department said, “Around 700 surplus teachers will be deployed across the state. For instance, three BRTE posts are vacant at Madukkarai block, five at Valparai. Twelve BRTE posts will be filled in Coimbatore through surplus teachers.”
K Sampath, state president of BRTEs Association, said, “In an executive committee meeting of our association, we adopted a resolution against the circular issued by the director. We have registered our opposition with school education director as well as the state project director of Samagra Siksha. If counselling is not conducted, we will stage a protest in the coming week.”
While sanctioned strength of BRTEs in TN is 6,000, there are only 2,900 working at present. BRTEs provide academic support to schools by monitoring how classes are taken and suggesting improvisations apart from training teachers.