Postpone special TET until SC review, urge elementary teachers’ panel
The Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) had announced that a special TET would be conducted on January 24 and 25 for in-service teachers. A notification was released recently but withdrawn shortly afterwards for corrections.
Tamil Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board (TNTRB)
CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Elementary School Teachers’ Federation has urged the School Education Department to postpone the special Teachers’ Eligibility Test for in-service teachers until the Supreme Court hears the State’s review petition challenging its recent order on mandatory TET qualification.
In a letter to the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, representatives of the federation said that since the Tamil Nadu government has filed a review petition seeking to reverse the requirement, it would be appropriate to wait for the court’s decision before conducting the exam.
The Supreme Court had, on September 1, directed all in-service teachers lacking TET qualification to acquire it within two years, failing which they would face compulsory retirement with terminal benefits. Teachers with less than five years of service remaining were permitted to continue without TET but would not be eligible for promotion.
The Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) had announced that a special TET would be conducted on January 24 and 25 for in-service teachers. A notification was released recently but withdrawn shortly afterward for corrections.
Along with the plea for postponement, the federation has also submitted several recommendations. It requested that the pass mark for the special TET be reduced, similar to the practice in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other States, pointing out that the exam was only a qualifier, and not meant for recruitment. It also sought weightage marks, along the lines of Kerala, for teachers who have completed higher qualifications such as postgraduate degrees, MPhil or PhD.
Other suggestions included awarding weightage marks based on years of service and exempting teachers with disabilities from appearing for the special TET.
The State government has announced that three rounds of special TETs will be conducted in January, June and December 2026 to enable serving teachers to obtain the qualification within the prescribed period.
