Teachers to stage statewide protest in Gujarat over TET eligibility issue

Teachers across Gujarat will launch a statewide agitation from June 17 to 20 to press their demands, with various educational organisations announcing protests in all 33 districts of the state.

The agitation has been called by several teachers' bodies, including the All India Primary Teachers' Union, over concerns arising from a recent Supreme Court ruling related to teacher eligibility.

As part of the programme, members of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Teachers' Union and the All India National Teachers' Federation will gather at district collector offices and stage a three-hour dharna before submitting memorandums to the authorities.

Teacher organisations said the protest has been triggered by the Supreme Court's recent directions concerning eligibility requirements for teachers.

According to the unions, the ruling requires teachers with more than five years of service remaining before retirement to fulfil the prescribed eligibility criteria in order to continue in service and be considered for promotions. Teachers failing to meet the requirements may have to resign or opt for compulsory retirement, while those with less than five years of service remaining have been granted relief.

Teacher bodies have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the decision, claiming it could affect nearly one lakh teachers who were recruited before 2010.

The unions argue that when these teachers were appointed, the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) requirement was not in force and appointments were made in accordance with the government rules prevailing at the time.

They have demanded a permanent exemption from TET for teachers appointed before 2010, contending that experienced teachers should not be required to reappear for eligibility examinations after serving for many years.