NIOS certification now equal to Tamil Nadu boards: State govt
In April this year, DT Next reported how this would adversely affect candidates, including students with disabilities, who cannot attend regular school.
School Education Department
CHENNAI: As a relief to higher secondary students pursuing education under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), the School Education Department has announced that classes 10 and 12 educational certificates procured under NIOS will be considered ‘equivalent’ to the certificates issued by the boards of Tamil Nadu.
Because of this, students who pursue education under NIOS will be eligible for employment and promotion in the TNPSC public services.
Earlier this year, the department had announced that NIOS was not equivalent to the classes 10 and 12 certificates. And, the department’s equivalence committee had highlighted that the NIOS’s academic programme would be invalid for employment in TN public services and promotion.
In April this year, DT Next reported how this would adversely affect candidates, including students with disabilities, who cannot attend regular school.
And, stakeholders too urged the government to revoke the announcement. Members of the welfare of differently-abled noted, “While the department has been keen on inclusive education and actively advocated about it through awareness drives, it has also simultaneously restricted candidates with NIOS certification for government jobs.”
So now, with the latest announcement about NIOS certification, candidates can pursue education at any age with any kind of condition. They can select six subjects out of the 18 listed under the NIOS academic programme.
For this, the candidate can also continue the education from afar, while travelling or through the help of point-of-contact-person (PCP). The programme that is part of the Union government is functional at more than 30 schools in the city with over 250 students.
“Revoking the previous announcement is a welcome move by the State government. Now, any candidate who is differently-abled, sports persons and those unable to attend regular school can confidently study under NIOS and subsequently apply for State government jobs,” said a disabled woman with NIOS certification.