THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the opposition from teachers' associations, including KSTA and AKSTU from the left, the state government has decided to temporarily freeze the order making the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) mandatory for teacher appointments and promotions.
General Education Minister V Sivankutty, on Saturday, informed that the state will move a review petition against this in the Supreme Court. Opinions of teachers' associations and legal experts will be sought prior to the move, the minister informed.
"Teachers' associations have expressed their protest to the order without properly understanding its contents. However, in this light, we have decided to freeze the same," the minister said in a press meet here. The order mandating K-TET for teachers in government and aided schools of the state was issued by the General Education Department on Thursday, as per the Supreme Court order.
However, the minister also remarked that those who wish to attain the K-TET eligibility can write the examination, scheduled for February. The notification had already been issued.
Stating that the government considers the concerns among the teachers seriously, the minister also informed that their job security will be ensured. "The Right to Education Act aims to provide quality education, which will be only negatively affected if experienced teachers are terminated," Sivankutty said. Mentioning that the K-TET examinations only began in 2012, the minister also said that it is unfair to compare the teachers who entered the service before and after this period.