Service Matters-Right to education -TET is mandatory for all teachers appointed after July 29, 2011, whether by direct recruitment or by promotion.

Hon'ble MADRAS High COURT Court in a bunch of petitions the case of The Director of School Education and Others v. M Velayutham and others,DOD: 02.06.2023 has held that “… TET is mandatory for all teachers appointed after July 29, 2011, whether by direct recruitment or by promotion.

(a) Any teacher appointed as a Secondary Grade Teacher or Graduate Teacher/BT Assistant prior to 29.07.2011 shall continue in service and also receive increments and incentives, even if they do not possess/acquire a pass in TET. At the same time, for future promotional prospects like a promotion from secondary grade teacher to B.T. Assistant as well as for promotion to Headmasters, etc., irrespective of the dates of the original appointment, they must necessarily possess TET, failing which they will not be eligible for the promotion.

 (b) Any appointment made to the post of Secondary Grade Teacher after 29.07.2011 must necessarily possess TET. 

(c) Any appointment made to Graduate Teacher/BT Assistant, after 29.07.2011, whether by direct recruitment or promotion from the post of Secondary Grade Teacher, or transfer, must necessarily possess TET. 129/132 WA. No. 313 of 2022 etc batch 

(d) The Special Rules for the Tamil Nadu School Educational Subordinate Service issued in GO (Ms.) No.13 School Education (S.E3(1)) Department dated 30.01.2020 insofar as it prescribes “a pass in Teacher Eligibility Test (TET)” only for direct recruitment for the post of BT Assistant and not for promotion thereto in Annexure-I (referred to in Rule 6) is struck down, thereby meaning that TET is mandatory/essential eligibility criterion for appointment to the post of BT Assistant even by promotion from Secondary Grade Teachers.

 (e) The language employed in G.O. (Ms) No. 181 dated 15.11.2011 is to be read and understood to the effect that for continuance in service without promotional prospects, TET is not mandatory.-PARA 74.

Click here to read the Judgement