Meghalaya SSA teachers' body to file review plea in SC against TET ruling

Shillong, Oct 6 (PTI) The Meghalaya Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Schools Association (MSSASA) on Monday unanimously decided to file a review petition before the Supreme Court, challenging its September 1 ruling that mandates all in-service teachers to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) to continue in service.

At a general meeting held here, MSSASA president Aristotle Rymbai said legal experts had advised the association to contest the retrospective application of the judgment, which affects even long-serving teachers nearing retirement.

"This decision will have serious consequences on the future of many teachers. We have agreed to move collectively," Rymbai said.

He explained that the Supreme Court judgment was based on the 2010 National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification and the 2017 amendments to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, and recalled that the Education Department had earlier exempted teachers appointed before August 23, 2010, from the state TET (MTET).

However, the recent verdict has overridden that exemption, bringing all in-service teachers under the TET requirement.

Rymbai also clarified that the Central TET (CTET) and Meghalaya TET (MTET) are equivalent, and teachers who have cleared CTET need not appear for the state-level test again.

The MSSASA president said the state government is currently reviewing the implications of the Supreme Court order and hoped for a resolution that protects the interests of long-serving teachers.

According to the Meghalaya Education Department, there are approximately 43,102 teachers across the state.

While the exact number of teachers who have not cleared the TET is not specified, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has indicated that the Supreme Court's ruling could affect between 10,000 - 15,000 teachers in Meghalaya. PTI JOP MNB