SC makes MahaTET mandatory: Lakhs of teachers, schools in limbo

A week after the Supreme Courtrsquos ruling mandating the Teachers Eligibility Test TET for inservice teachers confusion persists with over a lakh teaching jobs hanging in the balance as state guidelines are still awaitedThe TET was introduced in 2013 as a requirement for new recruits But the recent SC order extends this mandate to teachers already in service These teachers now have two years to clear the test or face forced retirement While the Supreme Court has exempted those with less than five years of service left they will still need to clear the test for promotionsTeacher unions and political leaders have begun writing to the state demanding amendments to the order ldquoIn compliance with the Honble Supreme Court 7075 per cent of teachers in the state will now have to appear for the exam Approximately 6 lakh teachers in local government aided and unaided schools stand to be affected With a pass rate below five per cent and teachers burdened with teaching evaluation and nonacademic duties this will be an uphill battlerdquo said JM Abhyankar member of Maharashtra Legislative CouncilAbhyankar has written to School Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse seeking a sixmonth preparatory leave six MahaTET attempts within two years and a ldquoTET Deemed Qualifiedrdquo status for those who repeatedly fail despite effortsWhile teachers hired after 2013 have already taken the test many veteran teachers fear the sudden requirement ldquoThe MahaTET has a vague syllabus with aptitude and intelligencebased questions Senior teachers are out of practice with competitive exams and lack the time to preparerdquo said Jalindar Devaram Sarode working president of Shikshak Sena He added ldquoA teacher with 20 years of classroom experience should not be subjected to a retestrdquoMinority schools earlier exempted by a 2013 Bombay High Court order also face uncertainty ldquoContradicting rulings have sent the matter to a larger bench Similar disputes are seen in Tamil Nadu and West Bengalrdquo said Dr Abdul Gaffar Quadri of Anjuman IshaateTaleem TrustWhile states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu plan to challenge the order and West Bengal has seen protests Maharashtra has yet to take a stand Minister Bhuse recently said the department is ldquostudying the judgment and interests of all stakeholdersrdquo2013Year Teachers Eligibility Test was introducedWhat is MahaTETThe MahaTET is a paperpencil multiplechoice exam Candidates must clear Paper 1 Std IV or Paper 2 Std VIVIII for Maths amp Science or Social Sciences In November 2024 nearly 11000 of 35 lakh candidates qualified with a pass rate under 4 per cent Compared to the central test teachers say MahaTET is tougher and poorly aligned with the syllabus ldquoThe exam is as tough as MPSC Imposing it on teachers hired before 2013 is unfairrdquo said Sudhir Ghagas a principal and head of Maharashtra Shikshan Kranti Sanghatana ldquoMy school already has 21 teacher vacancies These rules may worsen the shortage despite competent staffrdquoA Kalyanbased teacher who cleared the Central TET but failed MahaTET 2024 echoed this ldquoThough I teach Maths and Science I was tested on Marathi grammar and literature Language teachers also face unrelated questions The design of the paper puts many of us at a disadvantagerdquo