Test the Teachers:

January 07/2013: Orissa has emerged as an education hub in recent years. Apart from a host of private engineering, medical and management  institutes of repute that have set up base, the state also boasts of government sponsored research institutions such as the Institute of Mathematics, Institute of Physics and National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) to name a few. It is another matter that the people of the state have no clue about the findings of any research done in these institutes and the state is yet to benefit from any discoveries. This argument is magnified in the case of the old Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) that has been sitting pretty in the centre of Bhubaneswar forever. Lack of competent  teaching manpower is the most important factor that must be worrying the management of such institutions. Relatively new to the state, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) would also be feeling the pressures of operating in a region where primary education has never been top priority.

The primary education infrastructure in this state has completely collapsed. It is not something new or startling. This has been an ongoing experience for decades. The Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA) of the Central government has been twisted to benefit few contractors working on school buildings and classrooms. The District Project Coordinator of SSA has become a coveted post for many an OAS officer because it offers them plenty personal benefits without any risks involved. Pleasing the Collectors with SSA vehicles and other minor frills keeps them away from the glare of district level accountability. They do nothing to make the basic education level to rise in their respective districts.  The Mid Day Meal Scheme has also emerged as an excuse to waste time and has not helped in slowing down the dropout rate. With this background, the information that even teachers are dipping qualitatively has become a great cause of concern for anyone interested to see this state develop.

For the first time ever, the Orissa government recently held the Orissa Teachers Eligibility Test (OTET). And what a test this was! A test that knocked out 92% of the applicants, terming them misfits. Incredulous but true that only 8 out of every 100 would-be teacher was discovered to be ineligible to take up that responsibility. Any nation or society depends on its teachers to build the future generations. If this be the standard of aspiring teachers, everyone can easily imagine what the future portends. Historically, teachers were drawn from the best of best students who could have qualified for many other professions. However, their passion for imparting knowledge drew them into teaching as a noble career. Later on, in Orissa at least, the word teacher meant an inpidual who involved her/himself in nefarious no good activities that could be termed petty politics. Under severely altered economic conditions, private jobs are getting fewer and riskier.

This has prompted many young people to opt for B.Ed or Certified Teacher (CT) training to get a cushy job in a government school. If getting a certificate within the state was difficult, many went out and purchased one from shady institutes in neighboring states. This has resulted in numerical growth of ‘trained’ personnel. When put to the test through OTET, most of them failed miserably. This is a great shock and matter of utter shame for the whole state.

When OTET was conceived, it faced terrible opposition from the teaching fraternity. Matters had even gone up as high as the High Court. Luckily the Court gave a nod to this test which must have devastated the rosy dreams of all these educational nincompoops. As ordinary citizens, the question obviously comes to our mind that while these huge gangs of teachers always crowd the PMG Square at Bhubaneswar during each and every Legislative Assembly session demanding extra pay and perks, where does this enthusiasm vanish when it comes to work and ability. Pecuniary benefits during these times of distress will always be welcome by everybody. Yet, those who demand more must always need to prove their worth. Tax payers money, whenever doled out, must be accounted for in terms of deliveries.

It is known that many privately owned educational institutes are incapable of paying high salaries to their teaching staff. In spite of this, most of the students from these institutes do exceedingly well in their studies. Thus it can safely be deduced that simply paying higher salaries to government teachers does not necessarily guarantee better standard of education. A different kind of thinking, involvement and devotion to work by the teachers will ensure better levels of education. Those very teachers who are incapable to pass an eligibility test have no moral right to shriek and shout for better benefits. Infrastructure may, at best, support easing the pressures on imparting education. It can never compensate the low quality of a teacher. All the bicycles, midday meals, new classrooms, uniforms or higher paid non transferable teachers cannot replace a good and attractive teaching system that encourages higher attendance and better results. Villagers today are turning away from sending their wards to government schools although there are many attractive goodies being offered there. They have started, gradually, to migrate to privately run institutions that show more concern towards the future of the children.

Time has come that OTET type of tests must now be extended to existing teachers also. Such a test would successfully gauge the worth of these ladies and gentlemen who now put students to test. This could result in a two pronged benefit. Those found fit in such tests could be rewarded with higher salaries and other benefits. Those who fail to attain the basic marks could be shown the door forthwith. Not only that tests such as OTET should be supported by all parents, they must demand these become regular procedural steps for not only recruitment but also continuance of teachers in all schools of this state. It is imperative that the government review teachers’ abilities on a regular basis. Teachers who fail these tests must not be entertained in any manner, no matter what mob clout they possibly could exert.