THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has cracked the whip on aided school managers who have appointed teachers without K-TET qualification after the 2019-20 academic year. K-TET is an examination to assess the quality of teachers from lower primary to high school level in state schools.
In a recent circular, the Director of General Education (DGE) said teachers appointed without K-TET qualification after July 15, 2021 – the date from which appointments after the 2019-20 academic year are effective – will be removed from service.
“Some aided school managements have appointed teachers without K-TET qualification. On rejection of such appointments, fresh proposals for approval of appointments are submitted by managements from the date of the teachers passing K-TET. Such practices should be curbed,” the DGE said.
The DGE directed education department officers to disqualify managers who appoint teachers without qualification and to remove such teachers from service. Also, those promoted without K-TET will be reverted. Their promotion will be approved only from the date of passing the qualifying exam, the DGE said.
Meanwhile, aided school managements have said that only a small section of managers have made such appointments.
“We had already directed our members not to appoint teachers without K-TET after 2019-20. As per our estimates, the number of such appointments would not exceed 8-10 in each district,” said Nazer Edarikode, state president of Kerala Private (Aided) School Management Association to which over 3,000 schools are affiliated. Aided school teachers have blamed the government for not strictly enforcing the insistence on K-TET for appointment.
“Numerous extensions have been given for teachers appointed from 2012 to 2020 to qualify K-TET. The management have made use of the lenient attitude of the government to make fresh appointments over the past four years,” said Indulal A V, general secretary of Kerala Aided Teachers Association.
After giving close to 10 chances for aided teachers appointed in the 2012-2020 period to pass K-TET, the government has set May 2025 as the final deadline for them to clear the exam. According to estimates, close to 2,600 aided school teachers appointed during this period are yet to clear the exam.
Meanwhile, there are widespread complaints about the K-TET exam from teachers. “The questions in K-TET are far removed from reality and do not assess actual teaching skills,” said a teacher.
