MSSASA to file review petition challenging the SC ruling which mandates that all in-service teachers must clear TET to continue in service
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 6: The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers in Meghalaya have unanimously decided to file a review petition challenging the Supreme Court ruling of September 1, which mandates that all in-service teachers must clear the Teacher’s Eligibility Test (TET) to continue in service.
The decision was taken during a general meeting of the Meghalaya Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Schools’ Association (MSSASA) held at Malki Ground on Monday. Teachers attending the meeting raised their hands in support of the proposal put forward by the association’s leaders.
Addressing the gathering, MSSASA president Aristotle Rymbai said that the association was encouraged to challenge the apex court’s decision after seeking advice from legal experts.
“Any court order should take effect prospectively, not retrospectively. This ruling, however, is being implemented retrospectively, which is unfair to serving teachers,” Rymbai said.
He added that the ruling applies to all teachers, regardless of how many years they have served or how close they are to retirement, forcing even those nearing the end of their careers to appear for the TET.
Rymbai expressed concern over the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it would have “serious ramifications on the future of teachers.”
He also noted that the decision to file the review petition was placed before the general meeting because it would involve significant financial implications and, therefore, required the support of all teachers.
“It is the teachers who are directly affected by this verdict. Should we remain silent and wait for the government’s next step? We need to act together,” the MSSASA president stated.
He said that the Supreme Court’s decision is based on the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) notification on August 23, 2010, and the amendments to the Right to Education (RTE) Act in 2017.
Rymbai recalled that during a meeting with Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri on November 18, 2024, the association requested that teachers who joined service before the 2010 NCTE notification should not be required to appear for the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET).
On January 29, the Education Department issued a notification exempting teachers who joined before August 23, 2010, from appearing for the MTET, fulfilling one of the key demands of the association.
“The teachers who joined after August 23, 2010, were required to take the MTET in 2024. We were happy and felt secure after that government notification. But now this Supreme Court ruling has come as a shock,” Rymbai said.
He said Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui recently stated that he would discuss the matter with the Chief Minister, the Advocate General, Cabinet ministers, and heads of all political parties before the government takes a final decision on filing a review petition.
Rymbai also addressed the confusion among teachers regarding the difference between the Central TET and the MTET. “There is no difference between the CTET and the MTET. Teachers who have already cleared the CTET are not required to appear for the MTET, as both are recognised for schools under the central and state governments,” he clarified.
