Awareness for BED CET spikes applications by 44%

AFRAID THAT THEY MIGHT END UP WITH VACANT SEATS ONCE AGAIN, THE COLLEGES ALSO TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO PUBLICISE THE GOVERNMENT CET

This year has seen a 44% increase in the number of applicants for the state government’s common entrance test (CET) for a teacher’s degree. While 23,838 students registered for the test last year, 34,256 did so this year.

The numbers are expected to increase with the state government extending the deadline for registrations to May 1.

This is the second admission cycle after the government scrapped the entrance test conducted by private BED colleges and introduced a single stateconducted CET for all the teacher training colleges in the state. The move had resulted in a significant dip in the number of students seeking admission in BED last year.

Till the academic year 2015-16, the students were admitted to around 550 unaided colleges on ducted by Maharashtra Vinaanudanit Adhyapak Mahavidyalaya Sansthachalk Association (MVAMSA) — an umbrella body of unaided Bedcolleges, while the state held a separate CET for admissions to around 50 government-aided colleges.

Last year, all the admissions were done through the government CET.

“Last year, the private colleges had given false hopes to aspirants that the association CET will be held eventually As a for government CET and were denied admission. But this time, everyone know that there’s only one gateway for teacher training colleges,” said an official from the state CET cell.

He added that this year the entrance test has been scheduled a month earlier than usual, allowing more teaching aspirants to seek admission in BED.

The colleges were directed to help students in filling application forms.

Afraid that they might end up with vacant seats once again, the colleges also took it upon themselves to publicise the government CET.

“The government’s decision [to scrap association CET] has put us in trouble. Many students couldn’t get the chance to appear for the CET, as government advertisements don’t reach every nook and cranny of the state. So we decided to publicise the test ” said Ramzan Shaikh

Terming it a violation of rules, the Bombay University and College Teachers’ union (BUCTU) has filed a writ petition at the Bombay high court against the University of Mumbai for revealing the identities of examiners and moderators on a public platform.

The union is referring to a list of 9,500 names of teachers made public by the university for an on-going teacher training programme in digital assessment.

“Revealing names and identities of those who assess papers for the university is against the law, and in fact there’s a Supreme Court order on the same lines. Such an act may cause potential interference in the examination process and such information is even exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act,” said Madhu Paranjape general secretary

For the process of training all teachers in on-screen assessment of papers, MU had sought information of all examiners and moderators from affiliated colleges in order to formulate a training schedule for all. The training took place across 50 centres between April 24 and 27 and a list of all the examiners, with respect to their training information, was revealed on the MU website for the benefit of all participants.

The petition, which was filed earlier this month, highlights two points: where the identity of examiners is revealed by MU and where questions have been raised against MU’S decision to hire “inexperienced and unapproved persons on hourly basis” to work as examiners.

“This is clear violation of the university statutes,” said Paranjape and added that the petition came up for hearing on April 25. “The court has directed MU to file their reply at the earliest ” he