Andhra teacher unions escalate stir against retrospective TET rule

Teacher unions in Andhra Pradesh have intensified their agitation against the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers, with protests now taking place across several districts. The unions argue that imposing the TET requirement retrospectively is unfair to teachers who were appointed under rules that did not mandate the test at the time of their joining.

The Andhra Pradesh United Teachers’ Federation (APUTF) announced an indefinite hunger strike beginning September 4 at Alankar Centre in Vijayawada. Federation State president N. Venkateswarlu and general secretary K.S.S. Prasad said the decision followed repeated representations to the Minister for Human Resource Development, Nara Lokesh, and senior department officials, which failed to yield a favourable response.

The federation’s demands include amendment of Section 23(1) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act to exempt in-service teachers, fixing the qualifying mark at 40% for this category, allowing teachers to appear in examinations for the subjects they teach, revision of relevant National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines, and conducting the examination in offline mode.

Separately, the Andhra Pradesh Teachers’ Federation (APTF) continued its demonstration at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada on Thursday, with a sit-in demanding an offline Special TET entering its second day. APTF State general secretary K. Basava Linga Rao questioned why teachers with up to 30 years of service should be required to clear an eligibility test when similar conditions were not imposed on professionals in other sectors. He reiterated the demand for a 40% qualifying mark and argued that State governments had the authority to determine pass marks for reserved categories.

Rao also alleged that inaccurate information was being communicated to the HRD Minister and warned of a larger joint agitation if the matter remained unresolved.

The Andhra Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Association (APPTA) has called on teachers across the State to wear black badges while on duty on Teachers’ Day as a symbolic protest. APPTA State president Kaki Prakash Rao and general secretary M.G. Mehdi said the move was intended to highlight the continued demand for withdrawal of the TET requirement for in-service teachers.

Background: The TET was introduced as a mandatory qualification for teachers under the RTE Act to ensure quality standards in school education. However, the requirement applies to fresh appointments, and the issue of retrospectively applying it to already-serving teachers has sparked protests in several States. In Andhra Pradesh, the current agitation is focused on seeking relief for those appointed before the rule came into force, along with easing the examination pattern for them.

The unions have warned that if the government does not initiate talks, the agitation will be intensified further. No official response from the State government or the HRD Minister was available at the time of reporting.