Gandhinagar, Feb 04: Gujarat State Examination Board (GSEB), Gujarat, will conduct the Head Teachers' Eligibility Test 2012, also known as HTET, on February 25, 2012. HTET is a common written teacher eligibility test, conducted for Head Teacher positions in government primary schools.

The position of head teacher is akin to principal in primary schools from class I to VIII. The exam will consist of multiple choice questions. The examination will include two papers comprising of 150 questions and the duration of the test will be two hours.

In addition, the first paper will consist of general knowledge, administrative management, school leadership, methodology and education psychology. However, the second paper will comprise of questions from syllabus of classes I-VIII and will test the knowledge of the candidates about primary syllabus.

As per sources, in order to qualify for the position of head teacher, candidates will have to score a mandatory 60 percent marks, whereas only 50 per cent marks will be required to pass the test. Moreover, as per officials, the score obtained in the aforementioned test will be considered valid for five years.

New Delhi, Feb 04: The UPSC was asked by the Delhi High Court to respond to a plea questioning its decision to introduce in Civil Services Preliminary Examination a new compulsory paper, part of which is to test candidates' ability to understand English.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued notice also to the Ministry of Personnel, besides the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), seeking their stands by March 14 on the plea by one Dina Nath Batra. Batra, in his petition, contended the new test paper deprived a majority of Indian citizens, having Hindi or other languages as the language of instruction during their education, of a level playing field in the competition.

His counsel Jagdeep Dhankad said that civil services aspirants till 2010 were required to answer two objective type question papers - one for general knowledge and the other on a subject of their choice, in the annual preliminary examination. The UPSC, however, introduced a new Aptitude Test paper worth 200 marks in 2011 containing an English Language Comprehension Skill section worth 22.50 marks, to be answered compulsorily by all candidates, said the lawyer.

The counsel alleged the new question paper on English is discriminatory as it denies equal competing platform to those aspirants who had studied in Hindi medium or any other Indian language. Hindi is the basis of Indian culture and making English compulsory will strike a body blow to wipe off Indias rich cultural heritage from its roots.

Hindi and other classical languages have to be given their rightful place in the educational system and in civil services, the petition said. The petitioner also contended that the central government had not consulted various official committees on language, while implementing the new pattern.

New Delhi, Feb 04:  Affording quality education for children has always burnt a hole in the pocket of parents, mainly those residing in metro cities, and educating a child is going to get costlier this year, an Assocham survey said.

The survey conducted in cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, claimed that parents will budget Rs 2-4 lakh on average for their children's primary school education this year, as private institutes charge hefty fees.

It said parents find difficulty in meeting their ward's education costs mainly on account of hefty fees, expensive books, uniforms, transportation, building funds and educational trips. The education cost is increasing every year, in line with inflation. Tuition fees have doubled during 2010 to 2012 on a single child. The average fees of private day schools are Rs 50,000 to 3 lakh per annum, which is much higher in metropolitan cities, it said.

As per the survey, 85 per cent of parents spend more than half of their pay on their children's education, placing a significant burden on their family budget.

Education in private schools has drastically become expensive due to which middle class families are finding it difficult to bear the extra burden, Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said.