Minority welfare dept plans CET for guest teachers, draws flak

Bengaluru: Aspirants and experts alike have objected to the notification issued by the Department of Minority Welfare mandating a Common Entrance Test (CET) for the selection of guest teachers.

Pointing to guest faculty members hired in 2024 and currently teaching at institutions administered by various departments – collegiate education, school education and technical education – the guest teachers have questioned the rationale behind the Minority Welfare Department’s recent notification.  

Demanding that the department withdraw the notification and revert to the old recruitment process, an aspirant said, “Let the department adhere to the rules that have been in place all these years. Why is the department mandating an entrance test for a job that lasts only ten months?”

Educationist V P Niranjanaradhya accused the government of “betraying” the guest teachers.

“To begin with, these teachers are only paid Rs 10,500 a month, besides being hired for only ten months. Asking them to write an entrance test amounts to a betrayal. The minister concerned must take this issue seriously, and instruct officials to revert to the earlier recruitment process,” he said.

The Department of Minority Welfare is responsible for recruiting teachers to Morarji Desai Residential schools, Maulana Azad schools and Muslim Residential schools, among others.

Under the earlier system, the authority to appoint guest teachers was vested either with the headmaster of a specific school or the department’s district officer. After submitting their application, the candidates were shortlisted and subsequently appointed, following a demonstration class, their merit, and seniority.

The CET, examination proposed by the department, will be held for 100 marks and the question paper will be printed in both Kannada and English, with candidates having to mark their answers on OMR sheets. They will be tested on their skills in Kannada, English, child development and pedagogy.

The performance in the CET will account for 50% of the candidate’s score in the selection process, the performance in the graduation course completed will have 30% weightage, and the remaining 20% will be for the aspirant’s performance in BEd.