Before March 31 Tamil Nadu government-aided schools had conducted Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to check the intellect level of the teachers. Nearly 1500 teachers failed to clear the test, according to the reports.
Deeply assessing this situation, Directorate of Education, Tamil Nadu has decided to fire those teachers, who were unable to clear the test.
The teachers filed pleas in the High Court demanding the restrain of the authorities to not let them terminate from the school due to the non-clearance of the exam. Though, their pleas were disposed.
Justice S M Subramaniam, who was observing the matter in the Madras High Court, said ” If a teacher is unable to clear TET in 8 years’ time provided, how can the court come to the conclusion that such a teacher is qualified to continue in the post and teach the students.”
Though, the teachers uncleared the exam were given 5 years of tenure to clear the exam of NET (National Eligibilty Test)/ TET (Teachers Eligibility Test), which was conducted 4 times in past 8 years. Unfortunately, they didn’t clear.
Under the RTE (Right to Education) Act, as notified in October 2010, primary and upper primary teachers had to clear TET to get employment as secondary grade and graduate teachers.
The court explained, 60,000 candidates had cleared the NET exam in pat 8 years but the teachers, who were unable to clear will not be provided further chance to detain their teachings in the schools as it will be against National Education Policy.
“For many such posts and professions, requisite qualifications are prescribed. Thus, teachers alone cannot claim that they should be exempted from passing TET. More so, the profession of teaching is of more importance than any other posts in the public services,” said the court judge.
Meanwhile, court has issued an order to the school education department to issue showcase notice first and then dismiss them from the service as they do not have mandatory TET qualification.