TET Qualification Mandatory for Teachers Seeking Appointment and Promotions, Says SC

The Supreme Court of India has announced that the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is an essential requirement for the candidates to be appointed as teachers. Those who are already in service and have not cleared the TET exam, are also required to have a TET certificate. The TET certificate is required by the teachers who are already in service to seek promotions. This supreme court ruling even applies to those who are in service before TET becomes mandatory through a statutory law.

The Supreme Court was hearing multiple civil appeals, including Anjuman Ishat-E-Talim Trust vs State of Maharashtra and Others, related to the teachers eligibility. The Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) has been made compulsory from July 29, 2011 by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) for teaching Classes 1 to 8.

The Supreme Court also ruled that those who are appointed before the implementation of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), and have left more than 5 years of service are also required to clear the TET exam. The court has asked them to clear the TET exam within a two years windowframe. Those teachers who will not qualify the TET exam within the stipulated time may opt for voluntary or compulsory retirement.

In case of minority educational institutions, the supreme court has ruled that these institutions will remain exempted from the TET verdict until a larger bench decides whether these minority institutions come under the RTE Act or not.

TET Educational Qualifications

The candidates who wants to appear for the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) are required to have certain educational qualifications such as: 

• Primary Level (Class 1 to 5): Candidates must have completed-

• Senior Secondary with at least 50% marks, and

• Passed or appearing in the final year of Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) or Bachelor of Elementary Education

• Upper Primary Level (Class 6 to 8): Candidate should have completed:

• Graduation with at least 50% marks, and 

• Passed or appearing in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) or 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed).