TNTET : Graduate teachers appointed prior to RTE notification seek exemption from TET

5,500 appointed as graduate teachers based on their employment registration seniority through the Teachers' Recruitment Board


Graduate teachers of middle, high and higher secondary schools who were appointed with effect from September 15, 2010, and are due to complete their two-year probation period, have sought exemption from writing Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

About 5,500 teachers were appointed as graduate teachers based on their employment registration seniority through the Teachers' Recruitment Board.

However, subsequent to the publication of the Right to Education Act 2009 of the Central government and directive of NCTE (National Council of Teacher Education, New Delhi), the TET was prescribed for becoming teachers in government schools on or after August 23, 2010.

Having entered into government service after several years – most of the teachers are in late forties – the teachers reasoned out that they were already conversant with the TET syllabi that they had learnt during their under graduation and B.Ed studies followed by several years of teaching experience. Child psychology, psycho-pedagogy of children, and management and counselling of delinquent children were accustomed areas, they said.


Their argument was that the RTE Act does not specify that TET was mandatory for those teachers for whom the selection process had begun before the date of start of implementation.

In the case of these teachers, the process of their selection by the TRB commenced during December 2009, and certificate verification was carried out on May 14, 2010, following which they were appointed with effect from July 26, 2010.


On this basis, three teachers seeking exemption from TET had already obtained interim stay from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court.

While the TRB views the TET as an eligibility test, the State Education Minister N.R. Sivapathi had described it as a competitive examination based on which merit list will be prepared for appointment of graduate teachers in future.

Competitive exams, according to teachers have depth and intensity; the intensity of difficulty level of questions was more.

The contrasting opinions have put them at a loss to understand how the top-score concept can be applicable for the 2010 appointees.

News : The Hindu (4.5.12)

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/article3383372.ece