Chennai: Madras high court in an order has restrained the government from insisting teachers on passing of TET in a single attempt by writing the examination held on April 29 and 30, 2017 by Teachers' Recruitment Board to continue in service.
Justice T. Raja, before whom the petition filed by R. Sathiamurthi, B.T. Assistant (Science) SKDJ Higher Secondary School Thiruverkadu came up for hearing, has passed the interim order.
According to petitioner as per the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification dated February 11, 2011, and G.O., school education department, dated November 15, 2011, the appropriate state government should conduct TET (Teachers Eligibility Test) at least once in a year.
Stating that the state government had conducted TET last in 2013, the petitioner said during the subsequent years, the government did not conduct the exam without any valid reason.
In the order of permission granted by the department to fill up teachers post, the Department had not referred or condition of passing of TET. Even the order of appointment, the department, had not insisted on passing of TET, he said.
"It is clear from the official website of the Union Cabinet approved the amendment to RTE Act to ensure that all teachers in position as on March 31, 2015 to acquire the minimum qualification (TET) prescribed by the Academic Authority within the extended period up to March 31, 2019," he said.
Accordingly, all the teachers working as on March 31, 2015 ought to be granted extension for a period of four years to acquire minimum qualification prescribed by NCTE, he said.
While so, the Director of School Education issued proceedings dated March 1, 2017 calling upon the teachers to clear TET to be conducted on April 29 and 30, 2017 as a single opportunity in order to continue in service. The petitioner sought the authorities to restrain them from insisting on passing of TET in a single attempt to continue in service pending disposal.
