Maharashtra: 1 Lakh Teachers' Job At Risk After SC's TET Ruling, Associations Seek Relief

The recent order by the Supreme Court to make the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all teachers, as well as for serving teachers, has raised concerns among over one lakh teachers in Maharashtra.

According to the verdict, teachers who have not cleared the TET will have to clear it within the next two years to continue their jobs or face compulsory retirement.

Even junior teachers with less than five years of service will have to clear the test to be eligible for promotion. The verdict is a major setback for the teaching profession, especially senior teachers who were recruited before the TET was introduced in 2013.

The Maharashtra Progressive Teachers Association (MPTA) and the Shiksha Bharati Association have strongly opposed it and have requested the state government to clarify its stand on the matter.

According to media reports, MPTA president Tanaji Kamble warned that letting senior teachers go would be a big loss to the school education system.

Shiksha Bharati's Subhash More also warned that over one lakh teachers could lose their jobs, leading to a huge shortage in government and aided schools.

Shiv Sena MLA J.M. Abhyankar has come to the aid of teachers. Abhyankar has written to Shiv Sena MP Anil Desai and other Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, urging them to pressure the central government to bring an ordinance.

He has proposed adding sub-section (3) to Section 23 of the RTE Act, 2009, to exempt currently serving school teachers from mandatory TET until Parliament amends the law.

Teachers' unions have pointed out that being in the concurrent list, education falls under the jurisdiction of the state government and they can be given relief.

They are demanding that the government stop rigidly implementing the Supreme Court's directions and instead protect the interests of serving teachers.

In a state-wide convention organized by Shiksha Bharati, it was decided to write a letter to the Chief Justice of India, Bhushan Gavai, requesting a reconsideration of the verdict.