Prof. Saleem Ayaz Rather
Though teaching is regarded as a noble profession but the way teachers are appointed are ignoble. There was a time when job opportunities were more but the job seekers were less. Even a fifth pass candidate was recruited as a teacher. Then there was a time when 8th pass candidates were recruited as teachers. At that time there was neither any criteria fixed nor there was any interview for selection. Simply a candidate who was declared successful in middle standard exam had to approach education authorities with an application of having passed the middle standard exam. He or she was then handed over the selection letter. Later on, matric was fixed as the basic qualification for school teacher. Applications used to be invited which was followed by the interview of candidates. Then with the passage of time 10+2 was fixed as the basic qualification for a school teacher. A candidate with higher qualification was given the preference for selection. Now, in the recent years, a new turn was given to the selection criteria by the Recruitment Board. The basic qualification for school teachers remained the same at 10+2 but the candidates with 10+2 qualification were divided into two categories. Category one, those candidates having secured 50 percent marks in 10+2 could fill up the application form for the post of a school teacher .Category two, candidates having secured less then 50 percent marks in 10 +2 were not allowed to apply for the post of school teacher. Not only this right from 10+2 on wards each academic qualification was given the weightage points.
Thus all candidates with 50 percent marks in 10+2 were not called for interview until their names were shortlisted on the basis of academic and weight age points, thus again a large number of candidates were not shortlisted for the same. After going through the weightage map given by Recruitment Board, it was clear that it justifies the proverb ”the higher you go the cooler it is”. As we move from lower qualification to higher qualification say 10+2 to Graduation Postgraduation and PhD etc one becomes equipped with more and more knowledge and accordingly the points allotted to each qualification should show an increase.
But here the phenomenon is completely reverse. 30 Points have been allotted to 10+2, 10 points for graduation, 15 points for B.Ed, 10 points for MA, 10 points for M.Ed and 05 points left for PhD which is the highest academic qualification although the points allotted to B.Ed are justified as the course Primarly deals with the professional training of a candidate to make him suitable for teaching and learning. At the same time, we cannot ignore candidates who have utilized their precious five to six years in research studies and that also merely for 5 points. Let’s take an example of a candidate who has secured 60 percent marks in 10+2 and same in BA, B.Ed ,MA etc.Thus according to the points allotted to each academic qualification the total points of this candidate in 10+2 becomes 18(60/100×30=18) similarly in B.A he gets 06 points in B.ED 09 and in M.A 06 points thus the total points of the candidate become 39 and the same candidate gets 10 points in the interview thus his total points becomes 49. Now, there is another candidate who has secured 50 percent marks in all the academic qualifications right from 10+2 onwards up to M.A Thus his total points in 10+2 become 15, in B.A 05, in B.Ed 7.5points and in M.A 05 points and his total points becomes 32.5 and the same candidate is awarded 18 points in the interview and gets selected while as the former with 60 percent of marks in academic qualification is dropped and such candidates complain of non transparency in the selection process even if they had been awarded as per the performance in the interview. Thus the interview part becomes the deciding cum controversial factor in the selection process. Not only this, one of the candidates who had 35 points was awarded only 5points in the interview thus could not find his/her name in the selection list. Similarly another meritorious candidate who was Gold Medalist in MA Pol.Science was not selected as teacher but was later on selected as lecturer10+2 by the state Public Service Commission. A new amendment has been made in the selection process and now the selection for various posts shall be made on the basis of a uniform written test. As per Govt. order no. 252- He of 2012 dated 30-05-2012 that reads as: the Present system of screening for the purpose of short listing being adopted by the Recruiting agencies where in recruitment is made by giving weight age to the performance in the academic examinations should be dispensed with and the Service Selection Board or for that matter any authority including State Public Service Commission with the responsibility to make selection for any office or the post under the state shall hold a uniform written test for all the eligible aspirants for advertised posts. The marks obtained in the written examination shall be taken into account for making the selection and where the response to an advertisement notice is enormous the recruiting agencies including J&K Public Service Commission shall go in for a uniform screening test to shortlist the candidates thus the criteria for the post of teacher where basic qualification is 10+2 Preference will be given to those candidates having higher qualification and those having passed M.ED, B.ED and Diploma in ETT/NTT. Marks obtained in the written test out of 180 marks to be proportionately converted into points i.e 65 points(pro-rata basis) The points for academic qualification will be as under,
Graduation= 02 points
ETT/NTT= 01points
PG = 02 points
B.ED = 03 points
M.ED = 03 points
M.phil = 02 points
PhD after M.Phil
= 02 points
Ph.D(Direct Without M.Phil
=04 points
Viva-voce = 20 points
Total =100 points
From the weightage map it is clear that B.ED which is very important as the course primarily deals with professional training of a candidate to make him suitable for teaching and learning and the points allotted to it are only 03 what to think of other degrees, thus in order to make the selection process more transparent some suggestions that need to be taken into consideration are as
1) Interview part for selection for school teachers should be abolished.
2) The basic qualification for the candidates applying for school teacher should be at least graduation and not 10+2 as is being currently followed.
3) In order to make the selection process more transparent and in order to select the best talent available, need of the hour is to conduct the entrance examination for the candidates who apply for the post of school teacher. The entrance examination should be of 100 marks and of graduation level comprising of two papers
Paper 01, general studies
Paper 02, optional subject
Paper 01 will be common to all candidates while as Paper 02 that is optional subject should be selected by the candidate as per his choice whether he belong to arts, science or commerce stream. Both the Papers should be of Multiple choice and each Paper should carry 100 marks each and the selection of the candidate should be made on the basis of marks secured in the examination and thus best talent available will be selected for this noble Profession .IF any candidate feels that his/her answer scripts has not been evaluated satisfactorily such candidates should be provided the Xerox copies of the answer scripts after completion of certain formalities as may be decided by the service selection Board. As a result of this the entire Recruitment Process will become transparent.
(The author is HoD Zoology Govt College Thannamandi)
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