State takes up task to train teachers

The Maharashtra state government is going to coach candidates for the National Eligibility Test (NET) and the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET). HT Correspondent reports.

The state government is going to coach candidates for the National Eligibility Test (NET) and the State Level Eligibility Test (SLET).

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These are qualifications that the University Grants Commission has made mandatory for those seeking jobs as teachers.

The state government is setting up a special cell to design a model curriculum and monitor the coaching.

The cell will also be responsible for attracting funding from the University Grants Commission (UGC).

“We have no alternative but to shoulder the task of coaching aspiring teachers. Our colleges and universities have a shortage of faculty, which needs to be addressed immediately,” Higher Education Minister Rajesh Tope said, adding that the situation was similar in several other states.

Tope said the UGC is ready to support the state government financially. “The cell will work towards attracting grants from the UGC,” he said.

Success rate for both the tests stands at a pathetic 1.5 to 2 per cent. A candidate requires a minimum of 50 per cent to pass.

In the SLET held in September 2009, only 519 of 28,000 candidates (1.85 per cent) cleared.

The March 30 notification of the Human Resources Development Ministry said only teachers who have a PhD conforming to the new UGC guidelines will be exempt from the NET/SLET.

Vice chancellors across the 13 state universities recently started sessions for creating awareness regarding NET/SLET.

“The state now wants us to offer rigorous training,’’ said K.B. Patil, vice chancellor of the North-Maharashtra University in Jalgaon.