The Tamil Nadu Assembly in Chennai passed a resolution on Tuesday to permanently exempt government teachers appointed before August 23, 2010, from the requirement to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to maintain their positions. This decision aims to provide job security for long-serving educators in the state.
“Forcing the experienced educators to take the exam is unfair and threatens their job security and career growth. Piloting the resolution, School Education Minister A Rajmohan said approximately 3,28,701 government school teachers across the state will be affected by the Teacher Eligibility Test requirement as they face the risk of losing their job benefits or their positions if they do not pass the exam. TET has been made a mandatory qualification for teachers under the Right to Education Act 2009, and a recent Supreme Court ruling held that even current teachers must clear the exam to get promoted or risk losing their jobs, the minister explained. Hence, the Assembly proposes this unanimous resolution urging the Centre to provide full and permanent exemption from TET to those appointed before August 23, 2010,” he said. The resolution called for amending the RTE Act of 2009 to safeguard the teachers’ livelihood and service benefits.
“Hence, the Assembly through a resolution urges the Union Government to provide a permanent exemption from the TET for teachers appointed before 23 August 2010, amend Section 23 of the Right to Education Act 2009 to facilitate this exemption through official NCTE guidelines, and ensure that these teachers continue to receive all job benefits, including promotions, without obstruction,” Rajmohan said. he said much of the problem currently faced would not have occurred had education been brought under the state list While supporting the administration’s efforts to ensure legislation at the Central level.
DMK member and former state minister E V Velu noted that the previous DMK regime took up this issue before the Supreme Court.
