Shillong, Feb 4: Developments connected to petitions filed by several states, including Meghalaya, over compulsory Teacher Eligibility Test qualification for serving teachers are still pending as the Supreme Court has not yet scheduled hearings on the matter.
State officials confirmed that review petitions have been submitted seeking reconsideration of an earlier directive that requires every in-service teacher to qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test regardless of appointment period or years of service. Governments across multiple states are awaiting further steps from the court.
In Meghalaya, the matter is considered significant as government estimates suggest that more than 32,000 serving teachers who have not cleared TET may face uncertainty if the directive continues without modification. Many of these teachers were recruited when TET was not part of the eligibility conditions for appointment.
The state government, along with the Meghalaya SSA Schools’ Association, has requested the apex court to reconsider the ruling and provide exemption to teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education Act. Authorities argue that recruitment norms applicable at the time of appointment did not mandate TET qualification.
Officials have also highlighted that qualification and professional standards for teachers were later defined through notifications issued by the National Council for Teacher Education, which guided recruitment and training frameworks followed by states in subsequent years.
Education department sources stated that schools across Meghalaya continue to function normally while authorities await clarity on the legal position. District-level teacher groups have also sought an early resolution, saying prolonged uncertainty affects serving educators who have worked in government schools for many years.
The Meghalaya TET Case Review now depends on when the Supreme Court lists the petitions for hearing. Once the matter is taken up, states expect clearer directions on how the qualification requirement should apply to teachers already in service.
Education officials added that until a final decision is delivered, recruitment processes and classroom activities will continue under existing arrangements without immediate changes to current staffing patterns.
