Bhubaneswar: Teachers appointed without clearing Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) would now get three years instead of two, to acquire the mandatory qualification, following a decision by the school and mass education department.In a letter to the director (elementary education), additional secretary Jadumani Mahala said the Supreme Court has modified its earlier judgement and extended the period for acquiring TET qualification from 2 years to 3 years for in-service teachers. According to directions issued by the department following the SC ruling, eligible teachers must now qualify the TET by Aug 31, 2028, instead of the earlier deadline (Aug 31, 2027) that effectively provided a two-year window. The move is expected to benefit a large number of teachers who are yet to clear the examination.Officials said the extension was granted to provide adequate time to teachers to prepare for and qualify the test while continuing their teaching responsibilities.TET qualification is mandatory for teachers appointed under various categories in govt schools and is aimed at ensuring minimum teaching standards and competency in classrooms. According to the Section-2 of Right to Education Act, a candidate to be eligible for appointment as a teacher needs to clear TET which will be conducted by the govt concerned in accordance to the guidelines of National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE). Accordingly, the state govt conducts Odisha TET (OTET) once in a year through the Board of Secondary Education.The revised timeline comes amid demands from teachers’ associations seeking additional time to meet the eligibility requirement. Many teachers had expressed concerns over limited opportunities to appear for the examination and difficulties in balancing work commitments with preparation.The department has directed all authorities concerned to ensure that teachers are informed about the revised deadline and encouraged to qualify the examination within the stipulated period. Teachers failing to clear the TET by Aug 31, 2028, may face consequences as per existing service rules.
