Supreme Court Rules – All School Teachers to be TET Qualified

“The Focus Should be on the Well-being of the Students” said the Director of Education Shailesh Zingde on the Supreme Court’s TET decision.

The Supreme Court of India has clearly ruled that all in-service teachers have to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test. The decision has sparked discussions among various teachers across India. Some states have challenged the ruling while others have filed for a review petition. Tamil Nadu became the first state to announce special examinations for inservice teachers.  Goa’s Education Department has clearly said that it welcomes the decision of the Supreme Court. Speaking to jusUNMUTE, the Goa Director of Education Shailesh R. S. Zingde said the state has already taken steps to ensure that teachers obtain the required qualification. “ We have already issued circulars to all the schools to ensure that the teachers get the TET qualification”, he said. 

The TET is a qualifying examination specifically designed to assess the teaching skills and knowledge of teachers. In Goa, teachers can qualify through either the GTET Goa Teacher Eligibility Test or the CTET Central Teacher Eligibility Test. Zingde believes that the department’s focus should be on ensuring quality education for the children. He says “ We are interested in the welfare of the students. If the teachers have to update their knowledge and qualification, then we should be happy about it rather than challenging it”.  All teachers he said are qualified enough to clear the examination. Many he said have passed the examination in December-January. “Earlier they were struggling to get through, but in the last two TET’s many have cleared“, he said. 

The teachers we spoke to however may have contrasting views. A senior teacher from a government school with over two decades of experience said that he has a few years before retirement. Preparing for an examination after many years of teaching and training can be challenging and demanding at this age. Another teacher from a Government aided School said she feels the experience of a teacher should also be recognised along the test. “Experience teaches us many things that cannot be measured in a written test. Tet is made mandatory, so teachers could be given time to prepare”. “I cleared my TET before joining. I think it helps ensure all teachers meet a certain level, which is good as it helps maintain a standard”, said another young teacher from a government aided school. 

Zingde expressed his confidence in Goa’s teaching community and pointed out that teachers have multiple opportunities to qualify either through GTET or CTET, as now the date has been extended to 31st August 2028.