Chennai: The Tamil Nadu School Education Department on Monday clarified that candidates who obtained their B.Ed. degree from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) are not required to secure a separate evaluation certificate.

For long, District Education Officers had been insisting that IGNOU B.Ed. degree holders obtain a separate evaluation certificate, causing hardship to teachers, especially during audits where applications were being rejected for want of such certification.

Officials said the Higher Education Department had already examined the status of the IGNOU B.Ed. degree and issued a government order declaring it equivalent to B.Ed. degrees awarded by Tamil Nadu universities.

In view of this, the School Education Department has now formally clarified that no separate evaluation is necessary, providing relief to several teachers across the State.