Kerala Govt Moves Supreme Court Seeking Review of Mandatory K-TET Verdict: Minister V Sivankutty

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict mandating the Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) for teacher appointments and promotions, General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty has said. The petition seeks a reconsideration of the judgment, taking into account the unique features of Kerala’s education sector and the practical difficulties faced by teachers.

If the current verdict is implemented, it could potentially affect the jobs of nearly 50,000 teachers in the state. Protecting teachers who have been serving for years is the responsibility of the government. Even before the introduction of K-TET, Kerala ranked first in the country in terms of educational standards and literacy. Therefore, the argument that teachers without K-TET are unqualified does not hold true in Kerala’s context. Teachers who entered service before the implementation of K-TET in 2012 did not have the opportunity to acquire this qualification at the time. Hence, the government has requested that K-TET should not be made mandatory for teachers who joined service before March 31, 2012, and that they be allowed to continue until retirement.

The petition also seeks permanent exemption from K-TET for teachers holding higher qualifications such as NET, SET, and PhD. It urges that K-TET should not become an obstacle to promotions for teachers currently in service. The present verdict is said to deny justice to those appointed before the 2010 notification of the National Council for Teacher Education.

The minister said the government is committed to addressing teachers’ concerns and maintaining the quality of Kerala’s public education sector, and expressed hope that the review petition would result in a favourable verdict for teachers.