BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 16th August 2025: The recruitment process for teachers in Tripura conducted through the Teachers Recruitment Board has sparked controversy over training qualifications required for pre-primary level appointments.
While the recruitment drive is commendable, questions are being raised about the eligibility criteria. In earlier recruitment phases, candidates with training in Montessori, Kindergarten, B.Ed and D.El.Ed were accepted for pre-primary posts. Several such candidates are already working in government schools, having secured their positions based on merit.
However, the latest notification specifies that only candidates with a two-year Diploma in Primary Teachers’ Training from an NCTE-approved institution will be allowed to sit for the pre-primary recruitment examination. This has excluded candidates who hold a one-year diploma in Montessori or Early Child Care Education, which has long been offered by several recognized private training institutes across Tripura and other states.
The state has no two-year pre-primary training institutions making the new criteria difficult to fulfill for many aspiring teachers. Every year, a large number of candidates graduate from Montessori Teacher Training Colleges in Tripura, many of whom are already employed in private schools, while some serve in government schools.
Education experts point out that the Montessori and Kindergarten methods of teaching are integral to early childhood development and are even included in B.Ed. syllabi. The sudden disqualification of one-year diploma holders has caused widespread concern among thousands of trained candidates, who now face uncertainty over their future.
In a press communique, M. Montessori Teacher Training College urged the government to reconsider the notification. “If two-year training is deemed essential, in-service training can be arranged for those already holding one-year diplomas,” the institution suggested.
With a shortage of teachers across the state, stakeholders fear that rigid criteria may hamper recruitment and affect the development of pre-primary education. They have appealed to the Education Department to take a balanced decision that safeguards the interests of both trained candidates and schoolchildren.
