Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 25 : DMK leader and former School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Tuesday moved a resolution in the Assembly urging the Centre to grant complete exemption to the state from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
He said the Supreme Court order mandating TET for in-service teachers will affect the livelihood of 3.28 lakh teachers with 15-20 years of service and sought an NCTE circular exempting those appointed before 2010.
Moving a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the DMK leader said the Supreme Court's order mandating TET for in-service teachers will affect the livelihood of teachers with 15-20 years of service.
The Minister said the apex court has ordered that teachers already in service must also clear the TET test, creating a situation where in-service teachers can continue only if they pass the test.
"Asking teachers who have been in service for 15 to 20 years to write the eligibility test will affect their livelihood. TET pass has been made mandatory under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act," he said.
He said 3.28 lakh teachers in Tamil Nadu would be affected by the order, with the requirement potentially impacting a large number of teachers who were appointed under the rules prevailing before the introduction of the TET requirement.
The resolution urged the Central Government to take necessary steps to grant complete exemption from TET for teachers appointed before 2010 as per the rules prevailing at that time and to ensure that promotions and service benefits continue for them.
The resolution further urged the Centre to issue a detailed circular through the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) clarifying the exemption and applicable rules for teachers appointed before 2010.