Supreme Court’s TET Mandate

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Supreme Court’s TET Mandate: Balancing Teacher Accountability and Educational Quality

Introduction

The Supreme Court’s September 1, 2025, ruling mandating the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for all in-service primary and upper primary teachers (Classes 1-8) in non-minority institutions, except those with less than five years until retirement, affects ~20-30 lakh teachers, including 1 lakh in Karnataka. Education for All in India, led by Prof. Arun C. Mehta, evaluates whether low TET pass rates excuse teachers, assigns shared responsibility, addresses job ineligibility risks post-termination, and proposes equitable solutions to uphold quality education under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, and NEP 2020.

Can Low TET Pass Rates Excuse Teachers?

TET’s low pass rates (10-20% in states like Karnataka) do not fully excuse teachers, as it’s a legal requirement under RTE to ensure teaching competency. However, systemic barriers—outdated training, theoretical test design, and limited rural coaching—hinder success for pre-2011 hires. Teachers must pursue professional development, but low pass rates reflect state failures in providing support. UDISE+ 2024-25 data shows 12% of teachers (1.2 million) lack professional qualifications, underscoring the challenge.

Response to the Verdict

The ruling strengthens RTE and NEP 2020’s quality focus, addressing low learning outcomes (ASER 2023: 50% of Class 5 students read at Class 2 level). TET ensures pedagogy and subject knowledge, which are vital for 14.89 lakh schools. However, retroactively applying it to pre-2011 teachers, hired under older norms, risks unfairness and shortages (national teacher-pupil ratio: 24:1). The two-year grace period (until 2027) is pragmatic but needs equitable implementation to avoid disrupting 2.1 lakh small schools.

Shared Responsibility

  • Teachers: Must pursue TET, having had over a decade to prepare.
  • State Governments: Equally responsible for post-2011 non-TET hires due to shortages (~10 lakh vacancies) and lax NCTE enforcement, neglecting training via Samagra Shiksha.

Job Ineligibility Risk

Terminated teachers, often aged 40-50, may be ineligible for government jobs due to age limits (35-40 years), risking economic hardship and shortages, impacting rural schools the most.

Implementable Suggestions

To uphold quality without mass terminations:

  1. Free AI-Driven Coaching: Use DIKSHA for tailored TET prep (₹250 crore/year for 20 lakh teachers).
  2. Performance Exemption: Allow veterans (15+ years) to qualify via NAS outcomes or peer reviews.
  3. Increment Freeze: Suspend salary increments for non-TET teachers, funding coaching.
  4. Extend Deadline: Grant 3-year grace period (to 2028) for 15+ year veterans.
  5. Enforce TET: Mandate TET for new hires via UDISE+ tracking.
  6. Reduce Non-Teaching Duties: Reassign survey tasks to non-teachers.

Concluding Observations

The TET mandate advances quality education but risks inequity. Teachers and states share responsibility for qualification gaps. Education for All in India urges states to implement coaching, exemptions, and strict hiring policies, using UDISE+ data to ensure RTE and NEP 2020 goals by 2030.

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