Lucknow: Bringing relief to 1.45 lakh in-service teachers and special educators, the state govt has decided to conduct a Special Teacher Eligibility Test (Special TET) for them following directions issued by the Supreme Court regarding the mandatory requirement of TET qualification for all teachers.The basic education department has sent a proposal to the UP Education Service Selection Board to draw an action plan to conduct Special TET. This includes approximately 64,062 teachers at the primary level and 76,256 teachers at the upper primary level. In addition, 2,500 special educators too will appear for this test.The decision comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s judgment that made TET compulsory for all teachers. A review petition filed by the UP govt and other stakeholders against the judgment was subsequently dismissed by the apex court on May 29.In his proposal UPESSC, special secretary, basic education, Awadesh Kumar Tiwari stated that the SC, while rejecting the review petition, acknowledged the practical challenges that states could face if a large number of in-service teachers were displaced due to the lack of TET qualification.Emphasizing the importance of uninterrupted elementary education, the SC granted limited relief by extending the deadline for acquiring TET from Aug 31, 2027, to August 31, 2028. Further, states were directed to conduct TET examinations regularly, preferably twice a year, to provide adequate opportunities for eligible teachers to fulfill the statutory requirement.
