17k teachers sans TET may lose jobs

The National Council for Teachers Education in its 2010 notification had laid down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher from Classes 1-8.

Hence, as per the RTE Act 2009, a person who wishes to be a teacher needs to pass the TET. However, teachers appointed before 2010 do not come under the RTE rule. Sources from the Teacher’s Recruitment Board (TRB) told DTNext that 7,100 teachers were appointed between 2010 and 2012 in Tamil Nadu. However, none has TET eligibility certificates.

“Even private schools have recruited more than 10,000 teachers without TET qualification in the same period,” a source said. Soon after the Centre’s rule, from 2013, TN schools started appointing teachers with TET. The Directorate of School Education, in its 2017 circular, had stated that teachers would have to clear TET or be removed from services.