Punjab to seek review of SC order on mandatory TET for pre-2011 teachers

Chandigarh: Amid mounting pressure from teachers over the imposition of the Teacher Eligibility Test condition on those recruited before 2011, the Punjab govt is all set to seek a review of the Supreme Court order mandating TET qualifications for teachers.Responding to a media query on the issue, education minister Harjot Singh Bains said the govt stands firmly with its teachers and is exploring all legal options. "I want to assure every teacher: your jobs are secure. No one will lose their job," he said. The minister said he understands the anxiety among experienced teachers who served for 20 to 25 years and confirmed that legal solutions are being explored. He said he remains in constant touch with teacher unions and is examining every possible legal avenue.The issue gained momentum earlier this week when the Democratic Teachers' Front, Punjab, staged a protest at Anandpur Sahib, the assembly constituency represented by the education minister. The body stated that the Supreme Court order could affect nearly 40,000 of the approximately 1 lakh teachers working in over 19,000 govt schools across the state. It demanded that the Punjab govt seek modification of the Supreme Court ruling and ensure relief for teachers awaiting promotions.The front also called for exemption from the TET condition for teachers appointed before its introduction and urged the govt to clarify its stand at the earliest.The Teacher Eligibility Test was introduced in 2011 under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act. Teacher bodies argue that imposing the condition retrospectively on teachers appointed before 2011 is unjustified, as those teachers fulfilled the recruitment criteria prevailing at the time of their appointment.They maintained that teachers appointed before 2011 cleared competitive examinations or were selected on merit-based standards, and that the education department never earlier imposed a TET requirement on teachers recruited up to 2010. The sudden application of the TET condition at the stage of promotions, citing the Supreme Court judgement, was described by union leaders as unreasonable.The Democratic Teachers' Front also alleged that the state govt delayed implementation of employee-friendly measures, including equal pay for equal work, application of Punjab pay scales to recruitments made after July 17, 2020, and grant of full pay during probation. In contrast, it claimed, the govt was quicker to implement decisions perceived as adverse to employees.