Engineering graduates with BEd can teach Mathematics in Tamilnadu schools

This move aims to reduce unemployment among engineering graduates. So far, 1,159 BE graduates have completed two-year BEd and 2610 of them are pursuing their degree.

Now, engineering graduates with BEd degrees are eligible to teach Mathematics from classes 6 to 8 in government and private schools, says an order by the Higher Education Department. According to the government order, the department awarded equivalence to BE, in any discipline, with BEd to the post of BT assistants (Mathematics) (graduate teachers) for the purpose of employment in public services.

This move aims to reduce unemployment among engineering graduates. National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had relaxed the norms allowing BE graduates to pursue a two year BEd degree course in the year 2015. IT professionals, mostly women, took an interest in joining the BEd course for better work-life balance.

"In the last four years, 3,778 engineering graduates had joined the BEd courses in 719 colleges of education in the state. So far, 1,159 BE graduates have completed their two-year BEd and 2,610 of them are pursuing their degree," said the officials from Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University.

During the 2019-20 admission season, a total of 1,881 BE graduates joined the BEd degrees across the state.

BE candidates joining BEd programme in Tamilnadu

However, the uncertainty over jobs kept most of the engineering graduates away from joining the BEd programme. Initially, the government had reserved 20 per cent of seats for BE graduates which was later brought down to 5 per cent due to fewer applications.

According to P Rajalingam, state secretary, TET Qualified Graduate and Secondary Grade Teachers Association, "As of now, there are more than 80,000 TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) qualified teachers who are unemployed. The engineering graduates would find it difficult to get the teacher's job due to surplus posts in government schools." He also pointed out that engineering graduates are studying only four papers while BSc Math graduate has to clear 15 pure mathematics subjects.

Anna University professors, however, said the engineering graduates can handle maths subject for class 6 to 8.

"But, the engineers might find it difficult to clear eligibility test (TET) and a recruitment exam as they have more subject-related questions," they added.

However, the government has only given equivalence to maths degree whereas engineering grads have been admitted to other streams. "Students were admitted in physics, chemistry streams in BEd degree as well. The biotech students were admitted to the biology stream in BEd. The government should take a decision on these students too," said a principal from the college of education in the city.

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