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EDUCATION NEWS: Meghalaya Education Minister Lahmen Rymbui on Tuesday said that the state government will file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s September 1 order.
EDUCATION NEWS: Meghalaya Education Minister Lahmen Rymbui on Tuesday said the state government will file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s September 1 order making Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all serving teachers. This decision will affect more than 32,000 teachers across the state. The minister said the government will seek exemption for teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Rymbui told PTI that our argument is that this decision of the Supreme Court has retrospective effect. We want the government to give exemption to all those teachers who were appointed before the implementation of the RTE Act.
Will have to pass TET within two years
He said that after the implementation of the RTE Act, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), the regulatory authority for primary and secondary education, had issued notifications laying down minimum standards and qualifications for teachers, which the state has since followed. The minister said that the government has followed these. Therefore there is no question of non-compliance. Rymbui said that the state government’s concern is mainly for those teachers who were recruited before the RTE Act. Which may not meet the current TET requirements. He said that this decision will affect more than 32,000 teachers, which means they will have to pass TET within two years. However, he expressed apprehension that all these teachers would not be able to pass the examination within the stipulated time limit.
Jobs of MTET and CTET candidates safe
The Education Minister clarified that teachers who have already passed the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) or the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) are exempted from appearing for any other TET exam and their services will be reserved. Asked about the recommendations made by the State Education Commission to remove ineligible teachers in a phased manner, Rymbui said the issue is a matter of interpretation. The government is recruiting teachers as per the norms set by NCTE, which means they are already qualified. They are eligible to continue in service after fulfilling the criteria prescribed by NCTE. The Education Minister said that the government’s decision to file a review petition reflects its concern for the large number of teachers whose livelihood may be affected by this decision.
Need to consider long service and experience
Rymbui said that the Supreme Court has directed that serving teachers will have to pass TET within two years. He said that the state government is not against the mandatory nature of TET, but wants a fair approach that recognizes the service of teachers appointed before the implementation of the RTE Act. The minister said that many of these teachers have been serving for years and have made a huge contribution to the education system. We only want that his long service and experience should be considered before imposing such a condition. He expressed hope that the Supreme Court would consider the state’s petition sympathetically and provide relief to the affected people.
