All Teachers Must Clear TET, No Exemptions for Minority Schools: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has mandated that all teachers, including those in minority institutions, must possess TET qualification to be eligible for teaching. Check complete details here.

TET Update: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ruled that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification is mandatory for teachers in all educational institutions, including minority schools. A Division Bench of Justices J. Nisha Banu and S. Srimathy held that the government has the authority to prescribe minimum educational qualifications for teachers in all types of institutions.

This ruling came in response to an appeal by the School Education Department against a Single Bench order that had granted relief to a candidate without TET qualification. The Division Bench upheld the department's stance, stating that approval of appointments cannot be granted to candidates lacking TET certification. 

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), recognised by the Central Government as the 'Academic Authority,' has mandated TET as an essential qualification. Consequently, the court observed, that the requirement of TET certification applies uniformly to all educational institutions, including minority institutions.

The ruling was delivered in response to an appeal filed by the School Education Department against a Single Bench order that had granted relief to a candidate lacking TET qualification. Supporting the department’s stance, the Division Bench held that appointments cannot be approved for candidates without TET certification.

TET Must for All

The judges noted that exempting minority institutions from the TET requirement would create an uneven playing field, leading to discrimination against teachers in non-minority schools who may lose their jobs or face stalled promotions due to the lack of certification. In contrast, teachers in minority institutions would continue to benefit from appointments, salaries, and career advancement without meeting the same standard, an arrangement the court deemed violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, which upholds the principle of equality before the law.

The court further observed that such exemptions have increased challenges in managing surplus teachers within the Education Department. Since teachers from minority institutions without TET qualifications cannot be readily transferred or deputed to non-minority or government schools, the department’s efforts to resolve staffing imbalances are significantly delayed.

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