16,000 Telangana Teachers to Take Special TET Scheduled From September 7

In Hyderabad, approximately 16,000 in-service teachers have applied for Telangana's first special Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scheduled from September 7 to 11, according to the Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation (TSUTF). Meanwhile, around 10,000 serving teachers have yet to apply for the examination despite facing an August 31, 2028 Supreme Court deadline to acquire the qualification.

According to TSUTF president and School Teachers’ Federation of India (STFI) general secretary Chava Ravi, nearly 30,000 teachers from the affected group have already acquired TET qualifications in recent sessions. However, around 26,000 teachers still require the qualification to meet requirements for promotion or continuation in their posts, with several thousand already missing out on promotion opportunities.

Teacher unions noted that many senior and language teachers have stayed away from applying due to discomfort with the present examination syllabus and the computer-based test format. Under the current pattern, Paper I tests candidates in Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, English, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. Paper II includes a 60-mark component in either Mathematics and Science or Social Studies, forcing teachers outside those subjects to choose one of the two sections.

Ravi stated that language teachers face particular difficulty because they are tested in Mathematics and English, subjects they do not teach in classrooms. The TSUTF has requested that special examinations for serving teachers test them primarily in the specific subject they teach, with pedagogy forming a common component and qualifying requirements adjusted for educators with years of service.

The computer-based testing format has created additional anxiety among senior teachers over 50 years of age who have limited experience operating computers. The examination lasts two-and-a-half hours and must be written entirely on a computer.

The state government approved two special TET sessions for in-service teachers following demands for additional opportunities. Qualifications obtained through this special examination enable serving teachers to meet requirements for post continuation or promotion, though the result cannot be used for future direct recruitment.

The Supreme Court extended the earlier deadline to August 31, 2028, in its May 29 review order for teachers with more than five years of service remaining. The court asked authorities to conduct the examination preferably twice a year to provide adequate opportunities.

Meanwhile, teacher organizations continue to seek legislative relief. The STFI national council passed a resolution in Jaipur seeking an amendment to Section 23 of the Right to Education Act to remove the mandatory TET condition for in-service teachers nationwide.