Tamil Nadu challenges mandatory TET order by Supreme Court, files review petition

The Tamil Nadu government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking reconsideration of its September 1 order requiring all serving teachers to pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) within two years of starting, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters in Tiruchy yesterday, Tuesday, September 31.

The minister stated that the review petition disputed the Supreme Court's ruling and related grounds, emphasising that retrospective application of the mandatory TET rule would negatively impact 3.28 lakh teachers with more than five years of service left and approximately 67,000 nearing retirement, The New Indian Express reports.

“If these experienced teachers are declared unqualified or forced to retire, it will leave classrooms vacant across thousands of schools, jeopardising the future of millions of children,” he warned.

He added that the state was also looking at the possibility of adopting special laws in the upcoming Assembly session to protect teachers and prevent disruptions to the school education system. 

Referring to the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) statement dated August 23, 2010, which exempted instructors appointed before that date from the TET requirement, Poyyamozhi stated that the state has requested that this exemption be upheld.

“We have sought clarity that pre-2010 appointees should continue to be eligible for promotion, while TET should apply prospectively only to new appointments and promotions after 2010,” he said.

The minister emphasised that implementing the Supreme Court order without modification could result in an unprecedented shortfall of over four lakh teachers, which the state could not replace within two years. 

Such a scenario, he claimed, would put at risk the right to education of rural, hilly, and underprivileged children who rely solely on government schools.