STET first or TRE-4: Bihar Education Department yet to take a call, as time ticks fast
BSEB conducts STET, which has been held three times so far - in 2011, 2019/2020 and 2023.
The conduct of Teachers’ Recruitment Examination (TRE-4) for around one-lakh vacancies of teachers as part of Nitish Kumar government’s major job push in poll-bound Bihar may get a bit delayed.
In keeping with the growing demand from aspirants, the government is now planning to hold the Secondary Teachers’ Eligibility Test (STET) prior to TRE-4, though a final decision is yet to be taken, said an official familiar with the matter.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had in July directed the education department to identify teachers’ vacancy at the earliest to initiate the process for holding TRE-4, with 35% reservation for native woman candidates. The idea was to complete the process before the model code of conduct comes into force, maybe by the start of October.
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However, so far, the advertisement for vacancies has not come, as the government mulls holding first STET, which is also due and the aspirants have been repeatedly demanding this, said a senior official of the department. The aspirants also organised protests and marched in Patna for this in the past and got the backing of the opposition parties. They are again planning protests.
{{/usCountry}}However, so far, the advertisement for vacancies has not come, as the government mulls holding first STET, which is also due and the aspirants have been repeatedly demanding this, said a senior official of the department. The aspirants also organised protests and marched in Patna for this in the past and got the backing of the opposition parties. They are again planning protests.
{{/usCountry}}Senior officials of the department are tight-lipped on the matter, while the time is ticking and the aspirants are getting desperate due to continued uncertainty.
{{/usCountry}}Senior officials of the department are tight-lipped on the matter, while the time is ticking and the aspirants are getting desperate due to continued uncertainty.
{{/usCountry}}“I am new in the department and cannot speak on this,” said a senior official, while another one said that he had some inkling, but he was not authorised to speak due to demarcation of work, indicating that things were still in a fluid state.
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{{/usCountry}}“I am new in the department and cannot speak on this,” said a senior official, while another one said that he had some inkling, but he was not authorised to speak due to demarcation of work, indicating that things were still in a fluid state.
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{{/usCountry}}Earlier, the government had categorically stated that STET would be held after TRE-4 but before TRE-5 next year, but due to continued demand and protests from the aspirants, there is now a serious rethink.
The election would certainly be announced any time after the fourth week of September and that does not leave much time to complete the process with any further delay. The term of the Bihar Assembly ends on November 22 and before that the election process has to be concluded.
The department of education had earlier written to the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), which holds STET, with guidelines, but things did not move beyond that. “However now there is serious discussion on conducting STET first and the modalities will be finalised soon,” he added.
BSEB conducts STET, which has been held three times so far - in 2011, 2019/2020 and 2023. The government had announced to hold STET twice a year in 2024 and that is also due.
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had made STET mandatory for candidates aspiring to teach in secondary and higher secondary schools on July 29, 2011 itself.
The Supreme Court also held on Monday that qualifying the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for those aspiring to be teachers and also in-service teachers aspiring for promotions.
All candidates with a graduation or post-graduation degree and B.Ed degree are eligible for STET to become teachers in secondary and higher secondary schools (Class 9-12). STET has two papers - one for secondary level and another for higher secondary level.
In March this year, several candidates had moved the Patna High Court for direction to the board for publication of a comprehensive annual calendar for 2025 disclosing the schedule for the STET and hold it at the earliest, preferably before TRE-4 so that no eligible candidate, including those from the B.Ed 2022-24 session were deprived of the opportunity due to delay in conducting STET.
The court had directed the petitioners to file a fresh representation before the Controller of Exam of the Board, who was also directed to pass a reasoned and speaking order after hearing them within three weeks. The court also made it clear that the “Controller shall be liable for non-compliance of the order within the stipulated period”.
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Bihar government has carried out large-scale recruitment in schools, the biggest employer in the state, in the last two years to fulfil its big job-creation promise, as unemployment and large-scale vacancies had hurt it badly in 2020 after the Opposition RJD played it up.
In TRE-1 & 2, 1.70-lakh and 70000 teachers were appointed, while in TRE-3 against 87774 vacancies, only 66603 could be filled, while the rest positions remained vacant and would be carried forward in TRE-4.
