Assn calls for removal of eligibility test requirement for in-service educators

The Haryana Primary Teachers’ Association (HPTA), affiliated to the All India Primary Teachers’ Federation, has announced a state-wide agitation demanding the removal of the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement for in-service teachers.

HPTA state president Hariom Rathi and state treasurer Chattar Singh said the Supreme Court, in an order dated September 1, ruled that teachers of classes I-VIII must compulsorily pass the TET within two years to continue service.

As per National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) V, TET was made mandatory only for teachers appointed after 2011. However, Rathi said, with the apex court’s latest directive, the requirement had now been extended to all teachers, irrespective of their date of appointment.

“Teachers failing to clear the TET within the prescribed period could face compulsory retirement. The only exemption applies to those with less than five years of service. Moreover, passing the TET has been made mandatory for promotions as well,” he said.

Opposing this decision, HPTA leadership, after consultations with All India Primary Teachers’ Federation national president Sushil Pandey, has decided to launch protests across all district headquarters on September 15-19.

During demonstrations, they will submit memorandums to the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister via local administrations.

The association has demanded that paragraphs 4 and 5 of the notification dated August 23, 2010; and paragraph 4B of the notification dated November 12, 2014, be substituted under Section 23(2) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, effective from August 23, 2010. “This step is necessary to ensure service security for teachers, stability in the education system, and judicial

clarity,” he said.