Major changes in Primary Teacher Recruitment! TET Weightage Increased to 25, Academic Score Reduced, Check the New Draft Rules
Primary TET Rules: A major overhaul is indicated in the primary teacher recruitment process in West Bengal. According to a recently surfaced draft of the recruitment rules, the importance of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) has been significantly increased at once. This will lead to a fundamental change in the evaluation criteria for job aspirants. Experts believe that if these new rules are finalized, the competition for primary teaching jobs will become even tougher in the coming days.
Sources indicate that the final recruitment notification regarding this matter may be published soon. However, even before that, extensive discussions have started among job candidates about the draft rules.
Major Shake-up in the Recruitment Marks Structure
The most notable change is in the weightage given to TET. Previously, only 5 marks were allocated for TET, but according to the new draft rules, this has been increased to 25 marks. This means the importance of TET has been quintupled. It is clear that the state wants to give more prominence to the candidates’ in-depth subject knowledge in the recruitment process.
On the other hand, the marks allocated based on academic qualifications have been reduced. The weightage for Higher Secondary, which was earlier 10 marks, has been brought down to 5. Overall, the total marks for academic scores have been reduced from 50 to 40.
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Join on TelegramFurthermore, the 5 marks that were previously allocated for extra-curricular activities have been completely abolished. The draft also mentions the addition of another 10 marks before the interview stage.
Marks Distribution at a Glance (Old vs. New Draft)
| Category | Old Marks | New Draft Marks |
|---|---|---|
| TET | 5 | 25 |
| Higher Secondary | 10 | 5 |
| Extra-Curricular | 5 | 0 (Discontinued) |
| Academic (Total) | 50 | 40 |
Why This Change?
The state has been in turmoil for a long time over the teacher recruitment scam. In this context, the government aims to make the recruitment process more transparent and merit-based. The School Service Commission has already changed its recruitment rules, and now the primary education sector is following the same path.
A recent Supreme Court verdict might also be a catalyst behind this change. The apex court stated that teachers who have been working for more than five years must also pass TET, or they will lose their jobs. This directive put the jobs of nearly 1 lakh primary teachers in the state into question. Although the state government has decided to file a review petition against this verdict, the decision to increase the importance of TET amidst this situation is quite significant.
If this new draft rule is finalized, it is expected to clear the path for TET-qualified candidates and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted based on merit.
