The All-Nagaland Government Primary Teachers’ Association (ANGPTA) has urged the School Education department to reconsider certain eligibility criteria for the Nagaland Teacher Eligibility Test (N-TET)
DIMAPUR — The All-Nagaland Government Primary Teachers’ Association (ANGPTA) has urged the School Education department to reconsider certain eligibility criteria for the Nagaland Teacher Eligibility Test (N-TET), particularly for senior in-service teachers, who were appointed before September 3, 2001.
In a representation to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), which is conducting the N-TET, the government primary teachers have sought safeguarding senior teachers from any adverse consequences arising from requirements of the proposed examination.
The ANGPTA stated that the 45% academic cut-off mark for teacher appointments, which has been the norm in recent years, should not be applied to those appointed when the minimum qualifying percentage was 33%. It demanded that all in-service teachers be allowed to appear for the N-TET, irrespective of their academic performance.
It also requested the department to reduce the qualifying percentage for the exam to 45%, stating that most teachers would not qualify under the current 55% criterion.
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Maintaining that the state government had exempted some teachers appointed before September 3, 2001, from undergoing professional courses, the association said such teachers should be “exempted from appearing for the N-TET examination”. It went on to state that teachers be allowed to write the exam on producing “final marksheets and recognition of relevant professional qualifications”, and that ECCE and other recognised courses to foundational and primary education be accepted for N-TET eligibility.
For teachers who have completed the D.El.Ed. (2014–16 batch) but are yet to receive their final pass certificates, the association said they should be allowed to appear for the N-TET by producing their first-year marksheets, on the condition that they submit their final certificates once issued by NIOS.
The ANGPTA demanded that at least one examination centre be set up in each district, stating that teachers posted in far-flung and remote areas may have to travel for days to reach a centre. It also suggested that the N-TET be scheduled in a way that does not coincide with school examinations.
“The Department should take the initiative to arrange tutorial or orientation programmes on the N-TET syllabus to facilitate easy and systematic preparation by teachers,” it stated, adding that this will avoid learning activities in schools.
The association further said that stringent eligibility conditions could prevent many experienced teachers from appearing for the eligibility test, potentially leading to premature retirement and subsequent economic hardship.