Govt to seek exemption for teachers appointed before RTE Act
Shillong, Oct 27: Showing its concern for teachers worried over a latest Supreme Court judgment, the state government has decided to file a review petition against the apex court order that asked all school teachers to mandatorily clear Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
In its judgment passed on September 1, 2025, the Supreme Court made TET mandatory for all in-service teachers, regardless of their length of service.
Explaining the government’s stand on the matter, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Monday said the government’s contention is that the judgment has a retrospective effect and it wants Supreme Court to exempt teachers appointed before the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into effect.
“After the coming of RTE in the subsequent of National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), which is the regulatory authority for elementary education and primary education, they have set the standard for the teachers that we have no question at all,” Rymbui clarified.
As per the Supreme Court judgment, Rymbui said, around 32,000 plus teachers will be affected by the judgment, which means they have to clear the TET within two years.
He expressed concern that not all of these teachers may be able to clear the TET within the given timeframe.
Meanwhile, Rymbui clarified that teachers who have already cleared Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) or Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) are exempt from appearing in any other TET exams and that their services are secured.
Regarding the recommendation of the State Education Commission to phase out underqualified teachers, Rymbui said It is a question of how one interprets it because the government has been recruiting teachers as per the norms set by NCTE.
“So that means they are all qualified teachers,” he added.
He emphasised that the Supreme Court’s judgment has mandated that in-service teachers pass the TET within two years, but if the court modifies its order, it would be a different scenario altogether.
“Having said that once they meet all those criteria that means they are qualified,” the education minister added.
