Part-time teachers to get 15 ‘experience’ marks in TRB exam

Chennai: Part-time instructors recruited under the Samagra Shiksha scheme in 2011 in the state and teaching physical education, music, drawing and sewing can heave a sigh of relief as they are eligible for 15 additional ‘experience' marks in the special teachers exam conducted by Teachers Recruitment Board.In a govt order (GO), School Education secretary B Chandra Mohan said the marks will be allotted for the next five special teachers exams conducted by the TRB.The exam (held for 100 marks) is crucial for these teachers, as they will not only become permanent staff — one of their long-time demands — but also receive pay of up to 35,000 a month, which is a manifold increase from the current 12,500. At present, the written test is held for 95 marks, and the remaining 5 marks are granted based on the teachers' registration with the employment exchange. If a teacher is registered for more than 10 years, he/she will get five marks; for 5–10 years - three marks; 3–5 years- two marks; 1–3 years - one mark; less than one year- 0 marks. Apart from this, a teacher who joined in 2011 will get 15 marks for experience.With the latest development, the part-time teachers will be eligible for both the experience marks as well as the employment exchange marks, potentially receiving up to 20 additional marks in the exam. As many as 9,477 teachers are set to benefit from the move.However, the response was mixed among the teachers. While the grace marks are welcome, it is to be noted that the last special teachers exam was conducted by the TRB in 2017. "Not even one exam was conducted during the current regime. The GO does not mention when the next exam will be held," TN Part-time Teachers Federation Chennai secretary S Natramizhan said.Senthil Kumaran, a part-time teacher, said that the GO did not mention recruitment for teachers teaching other subjects. "There are over 11,000 part-time teachers teaching up to 8 subjects. The GO says that only music, PE, sewing and drawing teachers (counting up to 9,477) get the experience marks. There are over 2,000 computer science teachers and hundreds of instructors teaching life skills, construction and horticulture. The govt has left them in the lurch," he added.