Less than 50% teachers have right aptitude in Gujarat

If qualifying in the Teachers' Aptitude Test (TAT) is any measure of quality of teachers, only 48.68% of secondary and higher secondary teachers have the right aptitude in imparting education to students in Gujarat. Results for TAT-declared by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) - state that of the total 90,126 teachers, only 43,876 teachers qualified in the exam by securing the minimum 125 marks.  The TAT was for 250 marks.

An official communiqué from the board states that it has withheld results of 181 candidates while exam candidature of three was cancelled as they tried to reveal their identity on the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheet.

Of the total 22,811 candidates who appeared from Ahmedabad, only 11,663 could secure 50% marks in TAT. In Gandhinagar, the figure was 7,222 out of 15,418 while of the 16,172 in Surat, only 6655 cleared. Of the 12,223 in Vadodara, only 5,249 could secure the qualifying marks.

The results indicate that when the government recruits teachers for vacant posts in secondary and higher secondary sections, only the 48.68% of the candidates who took the test would be eligible for recruitment.  

Experts in the field say that it is ironical that though the candidates had appeared for the test after completion of Bachelor of Education (BEd), only 48% could qualify for teachers' posts in Gujarat. Chairman of the board RR Varsani, however, said that the results are improving as the TAT for primary teachers has only 33% results. "It is a way of cleaning the system. The test would help in short-listing efficient teachers," he said.