TNTEU's Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (TNTEU) is considered the first and only university dedicated to promoting excellence in teacher education in India. TNTEU was established in 2008 with a clear vision to produce dynamic and smart teachers who can meet the ever-evolving needs of the education sector. To pursue its goals, the university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in education, as well as research opportunities for scholars in this field. 

TNTEU is a teaching-cum-affiliating university that not only offers on-campus and open and distance learning (ODL) programmes but also has a network of 642 affiliated colleges. The university is well-known for its academic excellence and research activities. As per the Self Study Report 2022, the university conducted 1500 development programmes, signed 333 MOUs, conducted 216 collaborative activities, and created 104 world records in collaboration with other organisations in the last 5 years. It seems that TNTEU has used its authoritative powers very well in forming its strong image. 

However, with authority comes responsibility! TNTEU appears less responsible when it comes to providing administrative services to its students. If the news is to be believed, TNTEU was blamed for not realising degree certificates for the last three years due to a lack of photocopiers on the premises. It's a bummer! Along with this, delays in conducting timely examinations and releasing mark sheets have caused inconvenience to the students. 

Well, there’s a lot to know about TNTEU from different angles, such as its ranking, academia, faculty, fees, placements, and administration. In this article, we will be examining TNTEU with an eagle’s eye to gain the clearer insight necessary to make a correct decision. 

TNTEU Ranking: Major rankings missing! 

TNTEU is a well-known teacher’s training university in Tamil Nadu. It participated in the NIRF Rankings 2022 but couldn’t secure a spot. Moreover, it wasn't ranked by any prominent ranking agencies such as QS, THE, Outlook, etc., or it might not have participated. For reference, here are some available rankings of TNTEU by independent ranking agencies. 

Our Take:

TNTEU enjoys decent rankings under the ‘country’ and ‘world’ categories by uniRank and Edurank. However, it wasn’t able to secure a position in the NIRF rankings. There can be many reasons for that, such as high competition or low performance in the parameters of the NIRF. Whatever the reason may be, TNTEU can put more effort into getting ranked in the prestigious rankings. 

TNTEU Academia & Batch Size

TNTEU course list includes UG, PG, and doctoral courses offered on-campus and through affiliated colleges. On its campus, the university offers ITEP, M.Ed, M.Phil, and PhD programmes under the six departments mentioned below. 

• Department of Value Education
• Department of Pedagogical Sciences
• Department of Educational Psychology
• Department of Educational Technology
• Department of Curriculum Planning and Evaluation
• Department of Educational Planning and Administration

TNTEU has recently revised its curricula with a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) and has introduced new specialisations in all three courses. The curriculum includes projects and compulsory internships in schools and teachers' education institutions to get hands-on experience. Also, the usage of ICT tools and online learning resources is encouraged by the faculty of TNTEU, which facilitates advanced learning. From a student's point of view, TNTEU offers holistic education and encourages students to participate in extracurricular and research activities. 

Talking about the batch size, the total number of students in PG courses is 100, including 29 male students and 71 female students. The student intake under the PhD programme is 100, including 27 full-time and 93 part-time scholars. We have found that the actual intake of TNTEU is equivalent to the sanctioned intake as per the NIRF 2023 data. 

Our Take:

Academia-wise, TNTEU follows a relevant curriculum and uses a practical approach to teaching and learning. Moreover, it has diversified its course offerings by introducing new courses such as the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) and many online programmes that allow students to pursue careers as per their interests. 

TNTEU Infrastructure

For a relatively smaller batch, TNTEU has adequate infrastructure and facilities. The university campus sprawls across 10 acres of land comprising academic blocks, a playground, a pond, a greenhouse, a herbal garden, etc. Here are the details of the available infrastructure and amenities. 

Classroom/Laboratories: 

There are seven classrooms and three laboratories well-equipped with facilities such as an LCD projector, smart board, interactive TV, Wi-Fi, audio-video recording, and editing facilities. 

Multipurpose/Seminar Halls:

TNTEU has a multipurpose hall for conducting activities, workshops, seminars, and sessions. There is a Tamil Culture Centre with a seminal hall and museum to explore and conduct cultural activities. 

Library:

There is a well-stocked library, which is fully automated and provides e-resources from DELNET and UGC INFLIBNET. 

Internet:

The university provides about 1 Gbps of bandwidth for internet connectivity, as per the SSR 2023 report. 

Hostel:

Separate hostel facilities for men and women are available for 200 students at the TNTEU campus. According to the students’ feedback, the hostel and mess facilities are satisfactory, and security is well maintained. 

Activities:

The university regularly conducts extracurricular and extension activities through the NSS, Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme, YRC, RRC, and various other cells. 

Sports:

TNTEU strongly focuses on sports activities and yoga practice. It has well-equipped infrastructure for indoor and outdoor games, a separate gym, and a hall for yoga events. The university conducts sports competitions and other activities to enforce a healthy lifestyle among its students. 

Cafe/Canteen:

The university provides canteen facilities on the campus for students and staff. Not much feedback can be found about the canteen facilities at TNTEU. 

Our Take:

Overall, the infrastructure and amenities at TNTEU seem satisfactory and adequate for a small batch of students. The university provides ample academic, residential, and recreational facilities. 

TNTEU Internships and Placements 

Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University Internships

TNTEU includes compulsory internships for PG students in its curriculum. It claims to provide internship opportunities in cooperative schools and other educational institutions. According to the TNTEU SSR report 2022, 50 students (86.21%) undertook either field projects, research projects, or internships to develop their skills and knowledge. However, no additional information can be traced regarding the internship opportunities provided by the university. 

TNTEU Placement 2022

TNTEU has an active placement cell to look after the job requirements of the students. As per the NIRF 2023 report, the university achieved an 80% placement rate in 2022, which is commendable. However, as per the student’s input, the placement cell only provided job opportunities in the research area at the university. 

Let’s glance through the statistics of TNTEU placements as per the NIRF 2023 report. 

Our Take:

Even though the placement percentage is fairly decent, the medium salary offered is far too low compared to the current industry standards. Moreover, TNTEU doesn’t reach out to other recruiters or suggest off-campus placements to students. This creates limited options for students, and they either end up taking jobs at the university or looking for jobs themselves. Overall, TNTEU should focus on conducting placement drives and approaching traditional and new-age educational institutions and companies to provide ample opportunities for students. 

TNTEU Diversity & Demographics

TNTEU has a small batch size of 100-200 students, which eventually results in less campus diversity. The student body mainly comprises home-state students who are female, which may be due to the nature of the programmes offered. 

Here is the detailed demographic profile of TNTEU as per the NIRF 2023 report for reference. 

Student Population:

Gender Representation:

Our Take:

As TNTEU is mainly an affiliating university, its student population is relatively less than other universities. This can be a reason for its low diversity which comprises 96% of home-state students, 3% of students from other states and only 1% of international students. However, the gender representation at TNTEU is titled towards women with 71% of female students and 29% of male students. 

TNTEU Faculty/ College Administration and Management

Faculty:

Tamil Nadu Teacher Education University has a limited number of faculty members complementing the low batch size. As per the NIRF 2023 report, the university has 32 faculty members for around 200 students creating an outstanding faculty-to-student ratio of 1:7. The teaching staff is highly qualified, with all the teachers holding PhD degrees. As per our research, the students seem satisfied with the quality of teaching and the behaviour of faculty members. 

Moreover, the faculty of TNTEU is actively involved in research, development and consultancy. As per SSR 2023 report, they have published 394 papers, 323 books and chapters, developed e-content and carried out 77 consultancy activities in the last five years. 

Administration and Management:

TNTEU’s administration, led by the Governor of Tamil Nadu as Chancellor, is composed of pro-chancellor, vice chancellor, registrar, Heads of departments, etc. Despite the skilled staff, several operational inefficiencies have raised concerns about the effectiveness of TNTEU’s administration and management. As per The New Indian Express, delays in conducting timely examinations and releasing degree certificates have raised questions about the efficiency of TNTEU’s administration and management. 

Our Take:

Based on our research, TNTEU has a qualified faculty, administration and management team that has been running the university efficiently for a long time. However, the recent operational inefficiencies have raised concerns about the university’s ability to maintain its high standards. 

TNTEU Location

Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University is located at Gangaiamman Koil Street, Karapakkam, adjacent to Govt. High School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The campus is connected via a network of roads, railway stations and an airport. Let’s look at the nearest transportation options. 

• The nearest bus stand to the TNTEU campus is Karapakkam Bus Stand, located about 1 km away. 
• The closest railway station is Chennai Central Railway Station, located about 15 km away. 
• Chennai International Airport located about 20 km away is the nearest option for air travel from TNTEU. 

TNTEU: Expectation vs Reality CLD Verdict!

Till now, we have covered all the major criteria to form a strong opinion about TNTEU. Just to reiterate, TNTEU is a focused teachers' education university which offers affordable courses and ample facilities. The tuition fee charged as per the university’s website is INR 2,000, which is highly convenient for students of all categories. However, there are certain cons, such as operational inefficiencies and limited internship and placement opportunities for students. 

Overall, students who are more interested in pursuing research and gaining knowledge in education rather than seeking placement opportunities can consider TNTEU for higher education. 

Our Final Checklist!