B.Ed. through IGNOU

To

The Principal Secretary (Education),

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair.

Sub: Arrangements for training of graduate PSTs of

Education Department through IGNOU - regarding

-------------------

Madam,

As you may, perhaps, be aware, there are a large number of Primary School Teachers working under the Education Department of A & N Administration who are graduates/post graduates but not having the B.Ed training. The central government had banned B. Ed training through correspondence courses all over the country except the IGNOU which offers a B.Ed correspondence course for those candidates who are having teaching experience. This course is especially designed and intended for the benefit of the serving teachers with two years experience in recognized schools who do not possess the B.Ed training.

This Association has been taking up this matter with the authorities in the Administration and IGNOU for the last several years. We had requested the IGNOU and A & N Administration to start a Study Centre for B.Ed at Port Blair. During 2006, the IGNOU had conducted an entrance test for candidates having teaching experience for selection for B.Ed correspondence course, at Port Blair. About 300 teacher candidates belonging to the Education Department of these islands appeared in the said test and a large number of them qualified, but due to certain administrative and/or technical reasons, successful candidates were not given admission by the IGNOU, thereby creating discontentment among the candidates. Thereafter, no step was taken either by the IGNOU or the Administration to conduct an entrance test for B.Ed correspondence course at Port Blair despite this Association’s repeated requests. In this connection, it is stated that certain percentage of posts of GTT and PGT are earmarked for the qualified departmental candidates.

It has been noticed that in many of the subjects particularly in Tamil/Telugu/Bengali medium, suitable teachers are not available and this problem can be solved if the serving Primary School Teachers who are graduates are trained in B.Ed course through the correspondence course of IGNOU. Besides, the Education Department has a moral obligation to help its teachers to enhance their qualification which will definitely increase the quality of teaching.

Under the circumstances, I would request your goodself kindly to look into this issue and take appropriate steps to provide B.Ed training through IGNOU to all the graduate Primary School Teachers working under the Education Department and, thus, help them to enhance their educational qualification which will, in turn, improve the teaching-learning process in the schools.

Yours faithfully,

(D. Ayyappan)

General Secretary

Cell: 9434260430.