In a revelation that exposes a deep crisis in the state's education sector, data shows that a mere fraction of candidates who cleared the Karnataka Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) over the past ten years have actually been appointed as teachers. Out of a massive pool of 4.47 lakh qualified individuals, only around 28,000 have managed to secure teaching positions in government schools. This stark disparity highlights a significant gap between teacher qualification and actual employment, leaving lakhs of trained educators in limbo.
A Decade of Disappointment for Qualified Teachers
The concerning figures were presented by the state's School Education and Literacy Minister, Madhu Bangarappa, in response to a question in the Legislative Council. The data covers the period from the inception of the TET system in Karnataka. The Teacher Eligibility Test, mandated by the central government's Right to Education Act, is a compulsory qualification for anyone aspiring to teach classes 1 to 8. While the test ensures a baseline standard of pedagogical knowledge, the subsequent failure to absorb successful candidates into the system has created a vast reservoir of unemployed yet eligible teaching professionals.
This situation points to a severe bottleneck in the recruitment pipeline. Despite a consistent need for qualified teachers to improve pupil-teacher ratios and education quality, the actual appointment process has not kept pace with the number of people becoming eligible. The result is a growing sense of frustration among TET-qualified youth who invested time and resources to meet the state's requirements but find no job opportunities at the end of the tunnel.
Systemic Hurdles and Recruitment Delays
The core issue lies in the infrequency and scale of government recruitment drives. Large-scale teacher recruitment processes are often delayed, mired in bureaucratic procedures, or simply not conducted to match the number of qualifying candidates each year. Furthermore, the availability of sanctioned posts within the government school system is limited. Even when recruitments are announced, the number of vacancies is a tiny fraction of the eligible applicant pool, leading to intense competition and leaving the majority disappointed.
This systemic failure has multiple ripple effects. For the qualified candidates, it means wasted years of potential employment and career stagnation. For the education system, it represents a lost opportunity to inject fresh, trained talent into schools, which is crucial for improving foundational learning outcomes. Parents and students in government schools are ultimately short-changed, as schools may continue to operate with inadequate teaching staff or rely on guest teachers, affecting the continuity and quality of instruction.
The Road Ahead: Demands for Action and Policy Reform
The alarming data has sparked calls for immediate corrective action from the government. Education activists and opposition legislators are demanding a transparent and time-bound roadmap for the recruitment of TET-passed candidates. Suggestions include conducting regular, large-scale recruitment drives to clear the backlog and aligning the number of TET examinations conducted with the projected hiring needs of the state.
There is also a pressing need to review and increase the number of sanctioned teaching posts based on current student strength and Right to Education norms. Without addressing these structural issues, the very purpose of the TET—to ensure a qualified teaching workforce—is defeated. The Karnataka government now faces mounting pressure to bridge this gap, transform policy into practice, and provide justice to nearly 4.2 lakh qualified teachers awaiting their chance to shape the future of the state's children.
