Apex Court’s TET Ruling Upsets Senior Teachers In Telangana
Many who have been in classrooms for two or three decades now find themselves suddenly facing the prospect of sitting for a qualifying exam that they had long been exempted from: Reports
HYDERABAD: A Supreme Court ruling that all in-service teachers with more than five years of service must pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years or risk losing their jobs has caused alarm among senior staff across the state.
Many who have been in classrooms for two or three decades now find themselves suddenly facing the prospect of sitting for a qualifying exam that they had long been exempted from.
The confusion followed the apex court’s September 1 verdict while hearing petitions on promotions and recruitment in minority and non-minority institutions. While the minority-related cases were referred to a Constitution Bench, the judges ruled that TET would be compulsory for teachers in other schools.
For teachers, the order is a break from earlier policy. When the Right to Education Act came into force, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had in August 2010 made TET mandatory for new appointments but exempted teachers who were already serving. The exemption was reflected in state government orders in 2011 and again after the creation of Telangana in 2015. Since then, those appointed before August 23, 2010 had never been required to write TET.
“This judgment feels like a bolt from the blue. Senior teachers who have given 20 to 25 years of service are now being told that they must qualify in two years or step aside. It’s impractical and unfair,” said one teacher Aruna B, from a teachers’ organisation, speaking from Karimnagar.
Organisations like the Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) have asked both the Centre and the state government to file review petitions in the Supreme Court, arguing that such a mandate undermines the rights of experienced staff. They say the ruling, if left unchanged, could demoralise thousands of teachers and create instability in schools.
Teachers point out that vacancies remain high across government schools and promotions have been delayed for years. Forcing thousands of staff into exam preparation, they say, risks diverting focus from classrooms and affecting the quality of teaching. “Exams are for freshers entering service, not for seniors who have been evaluated through decades of performance,” said Chava R, a senior teacher.
Unions have demanded that TET be enforced only for those appointed after the 2010 notification, and that long-serving teachers continue under the earlier exemption. Until the legal uncertainty is resolved, however, the ruling has left a cloud over the careers of teachers.
