TET to be held in seven languages

The first-ever Karnataka Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) to determine candidates’ eligibility to teach primary and upper primary school classes will now be conducted in seven different mediums of instruction and not just in Kannada and English as originally planned.

The test will also be conducted in Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Marathi.

The decision was taken after many aspirants from districts like Belgaum, Bijapur and Raichur demanded that the test be conducted in mediums like Marathi besides Kannada and English, said Mohammed Mohsin, Commissioner of Public Instruction.

“Aspirants from these districts said they had studied BEd and DEd in other languages and asked why then it should be a different language in the TET,” Mohsin told Deccan Herald. “They said it will be disadvantageous for them. Even ministers and MLAs brought the matter to the notice of the government.”

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) then sent a proposal to conduct the test in other languages to the government for its approval, which arrived promptly.

As of May 5, the DPI’s Central Admission Cell (CAC)—which is conducting the test—received 5,495 applications (Paper 1) and 1,753 (Paper 2) from candidates who wish to write the test in Urdu.

For Marathi, the number of applications is 2,736 (Paper 1) and 967 (Paper 2). For Tamil, it is 23 (Paper 1) and 25 (Paper 2).

Aspirants opting to take the test in Telegu amounted to 46 (Paper 1) and 57 (Paper 2). For Hindi, as many as 840 applications (Paper 2) were received.

The number of applications received for Kannada is 1.05 lakh (Paper 1) and 1.21 lakh (Paper 2) while for English it is 1,832 (Paper 1) and 14, 391 (Paper 2).

Paper I is for candidates who wish to teach classes 1-5 while Paper 2 is for those who want to teach classes 6-8. Those who want to teach classes 1-8 have to write both the tests.

The National Council for Teachers Education (NCTE) guidelines state that the test has to be conducted in two mediums: English and a regional language.

But there are also provisions to conduct the test in more than one language according to the requirement of the state concerned, said a CAC official.

“Every person should be given the opportunity to express himself/herself in the best way,” the official stressed.

“But conducting the test in so many mediums is a challenge because of problems like the high cost of printing, possibility of mixing up question papers etc. We are, however, confident that all will go well.”