Ahmedabad: A recent Supreme Court ruling mandating the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for all teachers has sparked discontent among Gujarat's academic community. The order makes clearing TET compulsory for every educator, raising concerns among those recruited before 2010, whose appointments were valid under earlier regulations.
Unions Seek Government Intervention
Education unions have urged the central government to exempt pre-2010 teachers from the TET requirement. Although representations have been submitted, no decision has been announced yet. The Gujarat State Educational Federation has called for statewide protests on June 18, with teachers staging demonstrations and submitting memorandums to the Prime Minister and Union Education Minister through district collectors.
Background of the TET Requirement
The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) introduced TET on August 23, 2010, making it a compulsory qualification for teacher recruitment after that date. Teachers appointed before 2010 met eligibility norms under earlier regulations. The Supreme Court's recent ruling extends the TET requirement to them, affecting nearly 25 lakh teachers nationwide, including about 75,000 primary teachers in Gujarat.
Federation's Concerns
Federation President Mitesh Bhatt stated that while the organization respects the Supreme Court's decision, it is concerned about its implications on teachers' service conditions, seniority, promotions, and job security. He emphasized that pre-2010 appointments were valid under the rules in force then, and those teachers should not be required to clear TET.
Future Actions
The federation has warned that if the issue remains unresolved after the June 18 protest, it will escalate the agitation to the national level. A state executive meeting in Rajkot on June 28 will decide the next course of action and movement-related programs.
