Meghalaya to file review petition against SC TET mandate

SHILLONG : Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Tuesday said the state government will file a review petition against the Supreme Court's September 1 order making the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all in-service teachers, a move that is likely to affect over 32,000 teachers across the state. The minister said the government will seek an exemption for teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, arguing that the apex court's judgment has a retrospective effect.

"Our contention is that this judgment of the Supreme Court has a retrospective effect. What we want is that the government should exempt all those teachers who were appointed before the RTE Act came into force," Rymbui told PTI. He said that after the implementation of the RTE Act , the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), the regulatory authority for elementary and primary education, had issued notifications setting minimum standards and qualifications for teachers, which the state has since followed.

"After the coming of the RTE and the subsequent notification of NCTE , the standards for teacher recruitment were made clear, and the state government has complied with them. So, there is no question of non-compliance," the minister said.

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Rymbui said the state government's concern is primarily for those teachers who were recruited before the RTE Act and may not meet the present TET requirements. "Around 32,000 plus teachers will be affected by this judgment, which means they will have to clear the TET within two years," he said. He, however, expressed apprehension that not all of these teachers may be able to clear the test within the stipulated timeframe.

RTE Act, livelihood of teachers

The Education minister clarified that teachers who have already cleared the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) or the Central Teacher Eligibility Test ( CTET ) are exempt from appearing in any other TET examinations and that their services remain secured. Asked about the recommendations made by the state education commission to phase out underqualified teachers, Rymbui said the issue was a "matter of interpretation". "The government has been recruiting teachers as per the norms set by the NCTE, which means they are already qualified. Once they meet the criteria prescribed by the NCTE, they are eligible to continue in service," he said.

The Education minister said the government's decision to file a review petition reflects its concern for the large number of teachers whose livelihoods could be affected by the judgment. "The Supreme Court has directed that in-service teachers must pass the TET within two years. However, if the court reviews or modifies its order, that would change the situation," Rymbui added. He maintained that the state government was not against the TET requirement but was seeking a fair approach that recognises the service of teachers appointed before the implementation of the RTE Act.

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"Many of these teachers have been serving for years and have contributed immensely to the education system. We only seek that their long years of service and experience be considered before applying such a condition retrospectively," the minister said. He expressed hope that the Supreme Court would consider the state's petition sympathetically and provide relief to those affected.

The Supreme Court's September 1 judgment had directed that all in-service teachers, regardless of their length of service or date of appointment, must pass the TET within two years to continue in their posts, in line with the qualifications prescribed by the NCTE. If the state government's review petition is admitted, it could provide relief to thousands of teachers in Meghalaya, many of whom were appointed before the RTE Act came into effect in 2009.