Srinagar: The J&K Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution exempting teachers appointed before 2019 from passing the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET).
The resolution was taken up in the Assembly for discussion and approval to address the concerns of teachers who were appointed before the specified cut-off date of October 31, 2019.
MLAs highlighted the difficulties faced by such teachers and sought appropriate relief from the TET requirement.
The passage of the resolution marks a significant step in the consideration of the issue, with the matter now requiring further action at the appropriate level.
Jammu and Kashmir teachers faced severe job insecurity, mental stress, and professional disrespect due to the requirement for passing the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for in-service educators.
Teachers said the test-passing requirement for educators who have taught for 10 to 25 years to clear an entry-level test undermines their professional dignity and ignores their track record.
Teachers claimed mental pressure, constant worry, and career uncertainty were making it hard for them to focus fully on classroom instruction. They argued they are already struggling with non-teaching assignments like election duties, census work, and government programmes alongside daily classes.
They claimed that regulations are being enforced on teachers appointed long before national education laws were formally extended to the region, raising concerns about fairness compared to other states.
Another argument forwarded by the teachers is that prior to the implementation of the J&K Reorganisation Act, Jammu and Kashmir operated under a distinct constitutional framework. The provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 were applied differently.
Because recruitment rules were entirely different, local in-service teachers were never given the systemic opportunities, periodic testing intervals, or administrative infrastructure to qualify for the TET during their decades of service.
Teachers fear the administration would use the TET mandate as a bureaucratic filter. Even for teachers exempted from forced retirement (such as those with less than 5 years left until retirement), passing the TET was being made mandatory to clear long-overdue promotions and grade escalations.
Veteran teachers holding advanced research degrees (like M.Ed. or PhD) found it fundamentally demeaning and impractical to study for entry-level, rote-memorisation competitive exams.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.