1,500 non-TET qualified teachers may face action

In accordance with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) had made TET a mandatory requisite to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in Classes 1 to 8. The secondary grade teachers, who teach Classes 1 to 5, should clear TET Paper-I and graduate teachers, who handle Classes 5 to 8, should complete TET paper-II.

A senior official from the School Education Department said that they have identified a total of 1,747 teachers working in the government and government aided schools across the State, who have not cleared TET. “Though we have given four chances for them to complete TET, still they could not crack it. Therefore, soon action will be initiated against them,” he said adding that a committee comprising high-level authorities have been formed to look into the issue.

Pointing out that the salaries of the teachers who did not complete TET were withheld for two months in April and May this year, the official said however, following their assurance that they would complete TET that was held in June 2019, the salary was disbursed. “We have given enough time. The government has also taken initiative to give free TET training but most of them failed to utilise the opportunity, “ he said.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Teachers Association President P K Illamaran said that the affected teachers were not given enough chances to complete TET. “How can Tamil teachers write other subjects in TET,” he asked. After considering their issues, he said that the government should at least give another chance for the teachers to complete TET. “In addition, the government should also consider giving proper training for the teachers so that they would clear the next TET,” he said.