TN will deliberate next step, Anbil Mahesh assures teachers

CHENNAI: In the wake of the Supreme Court making Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for teachers' appointments and promotions, the Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi met various teachers' associations from across the state here on Thursday.

The minister, during the discussion with teachers, assured that 'no teachers in Tamil Nadu have to fear as the State will carefully deliberate the next step.

On September 1, the SC ruled that TET will be nonnegotiable for new teacher appointments and those in service. And, importantly, teachers across India, appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, who have more than five years of service pending, will have to clear TET in two years.

And, the teachers who were unable to clear TET within the stipulated time will be forced to face compulsory or voluntary retirement. This order of the SC will be applicable to teachers who take classes for students from 1 to 8.

And, if Tamil Nadu has to implement TET, more than 1.30 lakh teachers from government and aided schools will be forced to sit for the exam.

Hence, to consult the next step, School Education Minister Poyyamozhi met a slew of teachers' associations, where stakeholders from the education department officials, teachers, among others, discussed the next step.

Addressing the teachers, the minister said, "The TN government will not take any decision that would affect teachers. We will carefully consider if the state should file a review petition with the court or conduct a special TET to help in-service teachers."

Speaking further, he pointed out that the SC verdict is definitely a challenge for the TN education department as a whole.

"This is not an issue about a particular group of teachers alone, those teaching classes 1 to 8. The whole department will be affected and importantly, children, as primary education is paramount," the minister said.

"Conducting TET is like questioning the qualification of teachers, who have at least two decades of teaching experience with them. Hence, we consider the next step after feedback and suggestions from all stakeholders," he added.

Meanwhile, All India Primary Teachers' Federation, of which Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers' Federation is a member, has sent an open letter to the Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan.

"The SC's order to pass TET for promotion and appointment is viewed as authoritative and against the interest of school teachers, who have been in the profession for several decades. More so, at least 20 lakh teachers will be affected. Hence, we urge SC to reconsider the ruling," stated the letter.