Selection process for Himachal Pradesh Teachers’ Award to be made more fair, inclusive

Subhash Rajta

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Shimla, July 8

The government is overhauling the selection process for the State Award to Teachers to make it more fair and inclusive.

From this year, the shortlisted candidates will have to give an interview and presentation to the committee headed by Secretary Education before the teacher is selected for the award. In another big change to the selection process, the students taught by the shortlisted teacher will also be evaluated by another committee to verify the claims made by the teacher concerned in his application.

Interview, presentation to secy-headed committee

• Shortlisted candidates will have to give an interview and presentation to the committee headed by Secretary Education.
• The students taught by the shortlisted teacher will also be evaluated by another committee.
• Now, a teacher can nominate other teacher for the award. Until now, the interested teacher had to apply himself for the award.
• The government is also planning to insert a provision for the withdrawal of the award in case the results produced by the awardee teacher worsen over a period of time.

“The changes have been proposed to make the process more inclusive. Women comprise around 50 per cent of the teaching staff, but the number of the women teachers getting the award is very small,” said Rakesh Kanwar, Secretary Education. “Besides, we noticed that only those teachers who are good at paper work get this award. So, the measures like interview, presentation and spot evaluation of the students will add new dimensions to the selection process,” said Kanwar.

In another significant change, a teacher could nominate other teacher for the award. Until now, the interested teacher had to apply himself for the award. Several deserving teachers never got the award as they felt applied for it. “Applying for honour or award does not make sense. It’s not at all difficult for the department to identify deserving teachers and recommend them for the award,” a teacher said.

According to sources, the government is also planning to insert a provision in the new selection criteria for the withdrawal of the award in case the results produced by the awardee teacher worsen over a period of time. “If the awardee teacher’s results are consistently not up to the mark or he is found guilty of some serious offence, the award could be withdrawn,” the sources said.

Also, college teachers and others working in District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) and State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) could also be considered for the award in the new selection system.