NIOS students not eligible for TN govt jobs, says state

Chennai: Students who have passed Class X and Class XII from the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will not be eligible for employment in public services and promotion, state government has said.
A government order issued by school education secretary J Kumaragurubaran on Dec 12, 2023, said the academic programme offered by the board is “not equivalent” to the one offered by various boards of the Tamil Nadu government.
Later, talking to TOI, he clarified that students who pass out of NIOS will be eligible to continue higher studies including professional courses such as medicine, engineering, architecture, and law. “But, even after completing their education, they will not be considered eligible for employment for govt jobs in the state,” he said.
The decision is not completely new. In 2014, the NIOS regional office complained that certificates issued by the Board were not being accepted in RTOs, employment offices, and for higher studies in colleges.
In 2018, then school education secretary Pradeep Yadav in a letter to NIOS said the certificates cannot be recognised for appointment/promotion in public services in Tamil Nadu. “The policy of the govt of Tamil Nadu is to abide by the formal system of education for employment in public services. The certificate course for Class X and Class XII offered by the NIOS is based on non-formal education,” it added.
While Yadav’s letter was based on govt policy, NIOS made repeated representations in 2018, 2021 and 2022 to review the policy. The state formally placed the request before the equivalence committee. “The committee examined the syllabus, course, schedule, and testing pattern and concluded it was not equivalent,” he said.
The NIOS officials, however, said, their board is equal to CBSE & CSICE in conducting courses for Classes X and XII. Established by the Union ministry of education in 1989, the autonomous body offered flexibility and options for students including school dropouts, children with learning disabilities and those training for sports to complete schooling in both Classes X and XII and enter the mainstream of education and employment. NIOS regional director V Santhanam said, “We want the state to withdraw this order. We are working on this.”