Yesterday’s online application for professional teacher examinations was not exactly well received, as social media platforms lit up with numerous grievances. A swarm of Internet users voiced their frustration over the steep fees and the ironically limited opportunities the process afforded the aspiring educators. Many were compelled to journey to different provinces just to sit for the exam, inviting speculation on whether any research was conducted to gauge the amount of prospective applicants prior to the application process. These educational roadblocks were met with severe criticism.
The Teachers’ Council Secretary’s Office had previously declared that this examination would attempt to assess a teacher’s professional competence on the basis of their knowledge and previous experiences, aligning with the expected standards of the teaching profession. This year’s first round was scheduled to open online for registration from the 4th to the 22nd of September on the Teachers’ Council Secretary’s Office website.
In this digital Olympics of sorts, many hopeful educators voiced their disapproval. The hashtag #ProfessionalTeacherLicense, fittingly, trended as the second most popular topic on the first day of exam registration. Many users berated the platform for its quick-to-fill-up exam venues and its unpreparedness in handling large-scale internet traffic, with some accounts of the system crashing the previous night, as reported by Sanook.
One user lamented the exclusivity, saying, “Countless individuals aspire to take this exam, yet only a fraction of that number is allowed. So one cannot always gain access to the exam venues, and the cost of the exam is prohibitive.” Similarly, another disagreed with the competition saying, “The authorities desire to foster a generation of competent teachers, and yet the operational system itself lacks the said competency. The candidates should not have to vie over the limited examination seats.”
Some users voiced concerns for those who were unable to register despite their diligent preparation due to the rapid filling of spaces. They equated the chaos of this exam registration to that of nabbing seats at a popular concert.
Yet another user anticipated more of these exams for professional teachers in the future, but also emphasized the financial cost. “The charted path towards the esteemed profession won’t be without its bumps and reroutes along the way. There will likely be a second and third attempt, inferring additional costs. Ensuing costs include the registration fees, travel expenses, and accommodation and food costs.”
A rather drastic plea was made by a user who questioned the relevance of the entire examination process. “From a non-teaching graduate’s perspective, I find this considerably confusing. It’s perplexing how they’ve made it so competitive for graduates from teaching degrees when not everyone is being forced to take the exam,” they said, “Why should they compete for registration when our parents’ generations were universally subjected to the exam? Things have certainly altered significantly.”
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