HYDERABAD: Allaying the fears of untrained in-service teachers who secured less than the minimum eligibility of 50 per cent marks in Class 12 for teacher training, National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) regional director Anil Kumar said that such teachers can write improvement exams while preparing for the teacher training course for which a window of two years is given.
“The fear that teachers will lose jobs because they don’t conform to eligibility norms is uncalled for. They can take a public or on-demand exam which is conducted weekly,” said Kumar. The rider, however, is that all backlogs have to be cleared by March 31, 2019, by when all teachers have to be trained.
Teacher training, an 18-month course, can be pursued in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.
In addition, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has introduced audio-visual medium of learning by starting Swayam Prabha, a TV channel, where teachers can get all the relevant study material.
In line with the Ministry’s directive, the nodal agency for registration and conduct of examinations for the 11 lakh untrained teachers across the country and 4,051 in the State, has begun the registration process.
While teachers have attacked the move for being short on time, officials have said that it has been on going since 2009 when the Right to Education Act was passed.
“Teachers are requested to enroll themselves by September 15. It is the last chance for them. From April 1, 2019, all untrained teachers of private, aided and unaided schools will be dismissed from service,” said the director.