Mushrooming of ETT colleges: Education Dept gets 100 fresh applications

Mushrooming of ETT colleges
Education Dept gets 100 fresh applications
Archit Watts/TNS

Jammu, June 17
More students from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan are seeking admission to the elementary teachers training (ETT) course in colleges and institutes here. At present, 439 colleges and institutes are offering the course across the state.

A senior Education Department official said the number of students was increasing every year because the four states had recognised the ETT certificate issued by the J&K State Board of School Education (BoSE).

In view of the increase in the demand for the course,100 applications have been received by the Education Department seeking approval for setting up ETT institutes, say sources, and add the department is,however, still to grant the approval.

Educationists believe that deficiencies in the system like attendance being not compulsory and no requirement of proper infrastructure are the reasons behind a quantum jump in the number of such institutes and colleges. In the 2009-11 academic session, nearly 45,000 students appeared in the exams, with more than 40,000 belonging to other states.

An educationist, Prof Virender Gupta, a former head of the Physics Department in the University of Jammu, said, “The system has collapsed. No one is checking the infrastructure of these institutes and as a result, most of them are running from a single room. It has become an easy way to earn money as agents manage admission and students come here only to take the exams”.

AK Gandotra, assistant secretary, ETT, BoSE, said, “We inspect every institute or college before giving it affiliation. I have never received such a large number of applications seeking affiliation”.

Sheikh Bashir Ahmad, newly-appointed Chairman of BoSE, had said there were some loopholes in the existing system, which would be plugged within two months.

Courtsy: The Tribune