Teacher recruitment for RMSA under scanner
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 28 2011: Criticising inconsistency with regard to criteria set for recruitment of teachers under the Central Government sponsored Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan project, Manipur Students' Federation (MSF) has cautioned the State Government that any anomaly in the recruitment exercise will not be tolerated.

speaking to newspersons at its head office today, MSF general secretary Anash Shah said there is no room for procedural lapses in the recruitment norms as the RMSA objective is to ensure quality education throughout the country.

Taking critical note of the recruitment authorities laying emphasis on academic aggregate marks scored by the candidates rather than on qualitative aspect of teaching capability, Anash also decried frequent change in criteria set for the recruitment.

Unlike previous recruitment process, the State Cabinet decided to do away with the general practice of written test and to conduct recruitment based on marks secured by the candidates.

While noting that criteria initially set for the 100 mark recruitment test included 10 marks each based on achievement of the candidates in class X and XII examinations, 30 marks in the graduate level, 30 in BEd level, 5 in honours, 10 from masters degree and 15 from interview, he questioned as to why the interview scale has been reduced from 15 to 10 marks.

Anash also ridiculed replacement of the interview score with 5 marks of the medical fitness test score that consequently slashed the total mark to only 85 .

With regard to entertaining academic achievement of candidates, he contended that high marks could be achieved in various contentious manners as there are confirmed information that examination centres of Board, Council or Manipur University located in distant places are out of their reach.

Contrary to average score from 40 to 50 percent in Board, Council or University examinations in the past five or ten years, candidates who appeared in similar examinations under CBSE or NIOS managed to tally high aggregate score, the MSF secretary elaborated while adding that there is possibility of candidates with poor academic record passing such examinations at far-flung centres.

Taking into account differences in the examination or mark accreditation system in the State from that of CBSE or NIOS it would be illogical to solely base the forthcoming recruitment under RMSA on academic records of the candidates, he maintained.

Pointing out that competency of the teachers will be the deciding factor in producing quality students, Anash also asked authorities concerned to reconsider form fee of Rs 250-300 for the teachers' eligibility test to be conducted by the Board.

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