Chennai, Oct 14 In a major relief for hundreds of teachers yet to clear the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), the Tamil Nadu government has issued an order announcing that three special TET examinations will be conducted in 2026 exclusively for teachers currently serving in schools under the Directorate of Elementary Education who have not yet passed the mandatory qualification test.
The Directorate of Elementary Education oversees Panchayat Union, Municipal, Corporation, and Government Primary and Middle Schools across the state. Most teachers working in these schools were appointed before the TET system was introduced. However, following a Supreme Court directive, it became mandatory for all teachers working in government and government-aided schools to pass the TET exam both for continued service and for promotions.
With this ruling coming into effect, teachers who have been recruited before the TET system are now required to pass the examination to continue in service without affecting their eligibility for future benefits.
To help them comply, the state government has decided to hold three special TET exams every year -- in January, July, and December -- giving non-qualified teachers multiple opportunities to secure the mandatory certification.
The order further states that these special tests will be conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB). In addition to conducting the exams, the government will also organise on-the-job training sessions for participating teachers.
These sessions will be held on weekends at the district or revenue-circle level and will be coordinated by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT). The training aims to help teachers improve their subject knowledge and pedagogy before attempting the exams.
According to the order, after the three rounds of exams in 2026, the state will assess the requirement and decide on the frequency of such special tests from 2027 onwards. The decision is expected to benefit thousands of teachers who joined the service before the TET requirement was enforced, ensuring that all government and government-aided school teachers meet the nationally recognised teaching standards as mandated by the Right to Education Act and upheld by the Supreme Court.
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