Madurai: Teachers in Tamil Nadu have expressed hope that the selection process for the State ‘Good Teacher’ award will be made more transparent this year.
The award is presented every year around September 5, marking Teachers’ Day. Teachers say that in previous regimes, last-minute changes to the final list—allegedly influenced by political and official recommendations—reduced confidence in the process and led to fewer applications in recent years.
Applications for this year’s awards have now begun. At the district level, a selection committee headed by the Chief Educational Officer (CEO) has been formed, with District Educational Officers, the principal of the District Institute of Education and Training, a senior Block Educational Officer and a headmaster among its members.
As per the current procedure, the district committee will conduct interviews and prepare an eligibility list at a 1:2 ratio. The list is expected to ensure representation from teachers of government-aided primary, middle, high, higher secondary and matriculation schools, in line with rules and the number of awards.
Teachers, however, allege that scope for changes arises at the state-level selection stage, and cite instances where awardees were chosen despite not featuring in district lists. They have urged the government to strictly recommend only those shortlisted by district committees and to publicly display the finalised district interview lists on CEO office notice boards to restore trust and encourage more eligible teachers to apply in the coming years.
