The state primary education board has decided to conduct a teachers’ eligibility test (TET) to shortlist candidates for posts of special educators at primary schools (Classes I to V)

In an advertisement released on Monday, the board stated that 2,308 special educators are to be appointed in this round.

A special educator is a teacher who is trained to work with differently-abled students of all ages.

They draw individualised education programs (IEPs) to set goals and monitor progress, adapt curricula, collaborate with families and other professionals, and implement intervention programs to support these students in their academic and personal development, a board official said.

The official said that they opted not to proceed with conducting the TET to appoint assistant teachers at government-aided primary schools (Classes I to V), as they were unable to select teachers from the pool of candidates who passed the TET conducted in December 2022 and subsequently cracked the interview.

The board also held TET on December 24, 2023, to appoint primary school teachers, but has yet to publish the results.

“As there is a directive from the Supreme Court that special educators would have to be appointed, the board has decided to conduct TET to shortlist candidates for these posts”, said a board official.

On March 7, the apex court ordered all states to notify sanctioned posts for special educators by March 28, 2025, and to complete the appointment process within 12 weeks from that date.

The order said once the posts were notified, they must be advertised in newspapers and on government websites, and a selection and appointment process would be undertaken for eligible and qualified teachers as part of an inclusive education drive.

A notification displayed on the board’s website indicates that the selection of “Special Education Teachers” will rely on the total marks achieved across various components, with a maximum score of 100.

Weightage for TET is 80 marks. Demonstration of classroom teaching and an interview will carry 10 marks each.

The notice says: “Passing/Qualifying Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is a mandatory eligibility. The selection committee of the board shall conduct TET for candidates who have applied for Special Education Teacher posts in accordance with NCTE (National Council for Teachers Education) norms.”

Special BEd or DElEd degrees are mandatory from institutes affiliated with the Rehabilitation Council of India to become a special educator.

The date of the TET and the guidelines will be notified later, said primary board president Gautam Paul.

According to the notice, the candidates who had already passed TET may also apply
for the post.

Previously, the state would recruit special educators on a contractual basis.

A 2021 Supreme Court directive mandated that states create permanent positions for special educators based on pupil-teacher ratios and the recruitment of teachers for these positions.

The school service commission on August 22 announced that it would hold teacher recruitment tests to appoint special educators at the upper primary (Classes VI to VII), secondary (Classes IX and X), and higher secondary levels
(XI and XII) in government-aided schools.

SSC said that 1,941 vacancies would be filled through the TET.

According to education department sources, this was the first instance where the state government intended to set aside 10% of the vacancies for such educators at every
level.