COIMBATORE: Graduates who have completed BEd Computer Science have requested the School Education Department to include Computer Science as an eligible subject for the Block Educational Officer (BEO) exam conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB).

They pointed out that while other subjects taught in school are eligible for the BEO exam, Computer Science is the only one missing. They said that this denies opportunities to candidates with a BEd and negatively affects their careers.

M Monisha, a Computer Science graduate from Coimbatore, told TNIE that only those who have completed a BEd alongside their undergraduate degree can apply for the BEO post, which is a supervisory role within the School Education Department.

She pointed out that while the Tamil Nadu government offers a BEd in Computer Science programme in colleges, it has not included Computer Science as an eligible subject for the BEO post and this is also discrimination.

Thousands of Computer Science graduates in the state have lost career opportunities in the government including teacher posts due to the state government's poor policy decision, stated Tamil Nadu B.Ed Computer Science Unemployed Graduate Teachers' Association General Secretary V Kumareshan while talking to TNIE.

"We believed many graduates would get teacher jobs in government schools after the previous DMK regime said it would introduce Computer Science subject from the primary section. That did not happen. Meanwhile, the government is not giving us an opportunity to compete in the BEO exam without valid reasons," he lamented.

The BEO post is supervisory, not a teaching post, in primary and middle school sections. Hence, the state government should include Computer Science as an eligible subject for the BEO exam, he demanded.

Official sources say the Computer Science has not been included a subject for the BEO exam as it is not taught in primary and high schools.

Repeated attempts to reach the top officers from school education department went in vain.