‘Prefer English teachers for IELTS training'

Divya Sharma

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 31

As the Education Department calls teachers for IELTS training, city residents feel that preference must be given to English teachers. The department had recently announced initiation of Interactive English Language Training for Students (IELTS) course. The aim of the training is to improve English skills of students.

Student of Classes XI and XII will be giving free IELTS coaching in different groups by trained teachers.

The list released by the department reveals that Hindi and SST teachers have also been invited for the training programme.

In some of the government schools, social science teachers have been given the responsibility of teaching English. It brings forth the scarcity of English teachers in government schools. “The first preference must be given to English experts. If SST and Hindi teachers are getting a chance, it means the state government admits that it hasn't enough talented English lecturers in schools,” said a government schoolteacher, pleading anonymity.

Mangal Singh Tanda, president of the Government Teachers' Union, said, “Teachers qualified for taking Classes XI and XII must be called for IELTS training. Only English teachers must be given preference.”