Maharashtra begins data collation to assess impact of retrospective TET mandate

Amid continuing uncertainty over the retrospective implementation of the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) mandate following a Supreme Court directive, Maharashtra’s school education department has begun collating data on in-service teachers to assess the potential impact before taking a final decision.

The exercise involves categorising teachers teaching Classes 1 to 8 based on age, year of appointment, TET qualification status at the time of appointment, as well as those exempted from the TET requirement. According to the state government, the data will help assess the extent of the impact of the Supreme Court ruling.

The Directorate of Primary Education has issued a letter directing education officers to submit verified data from all government and aided schools. In the letter, Director of Primary Education Sharad Gosavi, referring to the Supreme Court ruling making TET mandatory, said that information has been sought in three separate formats through education officers at various levels.

These formats include age-wise categorisation of teachers along with their TET status in relation to their year of appointment — specifically distinguishing between teachers appointed before and after 2011, the year the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) introduced TET. Data is being collected separately for teachers handling Classes 1 to 5 and Classes 6 to 8 under the Directorate of Primary Education.

The third format seeks general information on the status of TET implementation in the state, including the total number of teachers, those appointed before and after 2011, teachers who have cleared TET since its introduction, and those exempted from the requirement.

As per the Supreme Court ruling, TET is mandatory not only for new appointments but also for in-service teachers who have more than five years of service remaining. The ruling states that such teachers must clear the TET within two years or face compulsory retirement. This has raised concerns over potential job losses and its impact on staffing levels in government-run and aided schools, which are already facing teacher shortages.

Although TET was introduced nationally in 2011, its implementation in Maharashtra began only in 2013. Teachers appointed prior to this continue to be in service without the qualification. Many argue that their appointments were made under the recruitment norms prevailing at the time and that penalising them now for not possessing TET would be unjust.

Teachers’ organisations have warned that the ruling could affect over one lakh in-service teachers across Maharashtra. However, sources in the school education department said the age-wise data collection is expected to provide a more accurate projection of the impact rather than relying on estimates. As per the ruling, teachers with less than five years of service remaining can continue in their jobs but will not be eligible for promotion.

A senior official said, “This data will be submitted to the central government and NCTE, who have already been approached by the state government seeking clarity on retrospective implementation of the TET requirement for teacher appointment. With many in-service teachers clearing the TET in the recently held attempt, the impact may not be as severe as anticipated initially.”

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her... Read More