Newly-started CBSE schools in search of quality teachers

(File Photo)

After the introduction of National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), several schools affiliated to CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) have sprung up in the region.

The expectation is that only students under CBSE stream will be able to fare well in NEET. But, most of the newly-started schools are apparently facing a common problem: getting quality teachers. Even if there is not much variation in the content of books followed under the CBSE and Matriculation patterns, the pattern of questioning makes all the difference, experienced teachers say.

For orienting the students to answer application-oriented questions, the Intelligent Quotient of the teachers has to be several notches higher than that of the students. Not surprisingly, it is the other way about in the schools now.

“Finding teachers with a higher IQ than students in the CBSE system is turning out to be a tough proposition,” a correspondent of a long-standing CBSE school in the city, said.

“It is simply impossible to find teachers of high-calibre. Barring a few, the candidates are mostly those who had completed their degree programmes and B.Ed. out of compulsion, in the absence of a better alternative. In fact, the B.Ed. institutions have condescended to such an extent that they just register candidates and conduct examinations. How then can quality be expected of the candidates coming out of such a set-up,” the correspondent wondered.

Rote learning through memorisation that is prevalent in the State Board/ Matriculation system is out of place in the CBSE system. And, it is next to impossible for teachers in State Board to adapt to the professional requirements under the CBSE system overnight, a representative of another private management school said.

Walk-in interviews on

Since there are limitations in attracting the better ones among the existing teachers in the institutions around, managements have been conducting walk-in interviews in different parts of the State.

There are indications that teachers working in schools in the hill stations such as Ooty and Kodaikanal are much sought-after due to the common perception that the standard of English is higher there.

There are also instances of managements of matriculation schools apportioning parts of existing campuses for starting CBSE schools.

Earlier this year, the Madras High Court ordered notices on CBSE and State government to clarify whether it was permissible for a management running a State Board school to start another school in the same campus by obtaining affiliation from the CBSE.

The managements were able to have their way. But, unfortunately, the challenge of finding good teachers will remain unresolved, academicians fear.

Source