CHENNAI: To make up for lost opportunities for teachers to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), the school education department is planning to conduct at least six TETs over the next two years.
The move follows the Supreme Court’s recent ruling reaffirming that passing TET is mandatory for all in-service teachers to continue in service, except those with less than five years of service left, and without exception for promotions.
As per the National Council for Teacher Education guidelines, states are required to conduct at least one TET annually to enable teacher education graduates to qualify and become teachers. However, Tamil Nadu has conducted only six regular TETs and one special TET in the last 12 years.
“The department is now considering holding at least three TETs a year with a moderate difficulty level, as the test has become a compulsory qualification following the latest SC order,” a senior official said. At present, TET pass percentage in TN is only around 4.5%.
The department is also examining possibility of conducting a special TET exclusively for teachers already in service, though legal concerns remain. “After the SC order, teachers’ associations consulted senior advocates, who opined that such a move would not face legal hurdles.
Still, a special TET should be considered only if the review petition against the SC order does not yield a favourable outcome, as we feel conducting an examination is unfair to teachers with several years of service,” said J Robert, general secretary of the Secondary School Teachers’ Association.
Many teachers applied for TET exam after SC order
Officials also pointed out that since TET is now mandatory even for all school teachers handling classes 1-8, including private schools, it is only logical to conduct the exam more frequently over the next two years to give candidates ample opportunities.
TET is conducted for 150 marks, with candidates required to score 60% (90 marks) to qualify with 5% relaxation for candidates in certain categories. The syllabus includes child development and pedagogy, language papers and subject knowledge papers, depending on the teacher’s domain.
As many teachers find the child development and pedagogy paper particularly difficult, associations have also urged the department to offer training through the District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) to aid interested teachers to clear the test.
Meanwhile, following the SC order, many teachers have also applied for the TET exam recently notified by the Teachers Recruitment Board in August, with the deadline for applications set for September 8, said teachers’ associations.
The department has also sought details from districts regarding government teachers who have already cleared TET. Teacher associations, however, expressed concern that if the department provides promotions to these teachers, it could create resentment among the majority who are yet to qualify.
Only 7 TETs in 12 years
Guidelines require states to hold at least one TET a year. However, TN has held only 6 regular TETs and one special TET in the last 12 years