Ahmedabad: A student who clears Class 12 through the supplementary examination conducted by the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board within two months of the board exams can pursue medical or engineering courses on the strength of marks obtained in the second exam, but do not qualify to apply for the Primary Teacher Certificate (PTC) course in the same academic year — exposing a major disparity in rules in force in the state’s education department. The PTC course qualifies candidates to become primary teachers in Class 1-5.The board introduced supplementary exams in 2023 for Class 12 science stream students, offering a second chance to those who failed to clear exams in the first exam or missed exams due to unavoidable reasons or wished to improve their scores. The concept was later expanded as the ‘best of two’ system for Class 10 and Class 12 general stream students in 2024.Following this reform, the state amended admission rules for medical and paramedical courses last year, allowing such repeaters to qualify for admission in professional courses subject to their score in entrance tests like NEET or JEE. The move aligned with recommendations under the National Education Policy (NEP), making Gujarat among the first states to adopt the approach. Engineering admissions had already been permitting such flexibility.However, no corresponding amendment in admission rules was made for the PTC course, effectively barring students who improve their marks through supplementary exams from entering the teaching profession in the govt primary schools in the same academic year. The authority to revise these rules rests with the director of primary and secondary education.“In the absence of any rule revision, a student who clears the supplementary exam can apply in PTC courses only next year, effectively wasting that academic year, defeating the very purpose of supplementary exams,” said a senior education department official. Director incumbent Milind Torawane could not be contacted for comment.Officials acknowledge the disparity. A Board official said, “The rules are different for different courses. They should be amended immediately because the number of students who are opting for the PTC course ranges from 12,000 to 15,000 annually.” The contradiction becomes more significant in the backdrop of the state govt’s plan to recruit over 11,000 primary teachers, leading to a surge in demand for PTC admissions.Sources indicated that national boards such as CBSE are also moving towards introducing supplementary opportunities, further underscoring the need for uniformity in eligibility norms across courses.
