The Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualified candidates in Tamil Nadu are awaiting appointments. Some since as early as 2012. After several protests due to the delay in appointment, the teaching aspirants have resorted to a hunger strike. Now, they are also demanding the rollback of the reappointment exam.
It is to be noted that two months ago, teachers who passed the TNTET exam led a continuous protest at the DPI campus in Chennai. Despite the protests, the then All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government passed an order mandating them to crack the re-appointment competitive examination to be eligible for teaching in schools.
For the appointment of teachers in government schools, marks obtained in the TET are given 60 per cent weightage while marks obtained by the candidates for the educational module get 40 per cent weightage. Candidates alleged that there score of the candidates who passed many years ago compared to the educational qualification scores of the current candidates put candidates at a disadvantageous state.
Therefore, in order to reduce the mental burden of other candidates, the government of Tamil Nadu decided to conduct the TED exam as a separate exam to determine the qualifications of teachers and for the vacant posts in government schools. The move, however, did not go down well with the candidates.
Now, these teaching aspirants have resorted to a hunger strike asking for their demands to be fulfilled.
Under the Right to Compulsory Education Act of the Government of India, passing the Teacher Eligibility Test is mandatory to qualify as a secondary and graduate teacher.
The candidates are also demanding that all those who have passed the teacher qualification test should be given jobs and that upper-age relaxation should be taken into account in the appointment.
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