Purpose and Importance of the CTET

Why every teacher must attempt the CTET

The NEP 2020 has made the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all school teachers by 2030. Though every state has its own TET, in this article, like in all my articles, I will focus on the Central Teacher Eligibility Test or the CTET as that is the only one which is national in its character and is valid all over the country.

What is the CTET?
The CTET exam is a national-level exam that aims to check the eligibility and quality of candidates who aspire to become teachers for classes 1 to 8 in government or private schools. 

On this, let me add that soon the need for the CTET will extend to ALL teachers and this seems imminent with the NEP 2020 restructuring the school structure and including the pre-primary as well as the 11th and 12th into its fold.
The CTET exam is based on the guidelines and norms laid down by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which is the statutory body responsible for regulating and maintaining standards in teacher education in India. 

This article looks at the most basic question - the purpose of the CTET and its importance in the professional life of a teacher. 

 Purpose of the CTET

The history of TETs in India was initiated with the recommendations of the Justice V Ramaswamy Committee 2005. The committee was tasked with finding ways to ensure the quality of teachers who are recruited in schools. 

One of the recommendations was the establishment of the Teacher Eligibility Tests (TET) which would help ensure a standardized platform to assess the qualifications and preparation of a teacher.  

The first CTET was conducted in 2011 and it helped established uniformity in the eligibility criteria, examination pattern and evaluation process across the states.

Prior to 2011, each state had its own criteria to recruit teachers and even within the state, the process and criteria were not uniform.

The Importance of the CTET

1. Ensures the minimum qualifications of a teacher  - The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has prescribed the minimum qualifications and competencies for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in schools. This will ensure that across the country, a teacher of primary or the secondary, will have the same minimum qualification.
2. A centralised and uniform process of examination and evaluation - The CTET exam is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and it sets the curriculum for the examination along with the exam pattern and evaluation process. All other TETs (State TETs) follow the same pattern
3. Acts as  a benchmark to assess knowledge, skills and aptitude of a teacher - The CTET ensures that the teachers who are appointed in schools meet the minimum standards and expectations of quality education as envisaged by the NCTE and the RTE Act. 
4. Enhances the career prospects of teachers - Teachers who have cleared the CTET become eligible for various teaching jobs at the state or central level such as those in the Department of Education and Examinations. Through experience and completion of other qualifications, a teacher can become a part of the policy making process.
5. The CTET reflects the vision and goals of the National Education Policy - All education policy makers have been deeply interested in ensuring the quality of the teachers. The CTET becomes even more important in the context of the  current educational policy of 2020, which aims to transform the Indian education system and make it more relevant, inclusive, and quality-oriented for the 21st century. The NEP 2020 emphasizes the need for improving the recruitment, training, and motivation of teachers, as they are the key agents of change and innovation in education and has thus recommended that the CTET be made mandatory for all teachers by 2030.

Conclusion 

We can definitely say that the CTET  is a crucial exam that tests the eligibility and quality of candidates who aspire to become teachers and ensures that teacher can align their own professional vision with the vision and goals of the NEP 2020, which aims to create an education system that can foster the development of a creative, innovative, and responsible citizenry.