Teachers question purpose of high-stakes TET

Pune: Once meant to certify the eligibility of aspiring teachers, the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) has now become a career-defining examination for thousands of in-service teachers after it was made mandatory by the education department for them to qualify.While registrations for the exam have surged, many teachers and education experts stated that the test has evolved into a high-risk examination with little relevance to everyday classroom teaching. Teachers said they were struggling to balance classroom teaching, administrative work and preparation for a competitive examination that has little connection with their daily work.Education experts said that TET has joined the list of examinations like NEET, JEE Main and board examinations because failure could directly affect the careers of several teachers.According to data from Maharashtra State Examination Council, 4.75 lakh candidates registered for the 2025 TET. The registrations for the latest examination were over six lakh. Of the 4.28 lakh candidates expected to appear, nearly 2.26 lakh are serving teachers, reflecting the growing pressure on those in employment to qualify before the deadline.“The Supreme Court’s order has made qualifying TET essential for in-service teachers to retain their jobs.

Teachers now have to prepare for a difficult examination while managing teaching and non-academic responsibilities. The mental pressure is significant,” Mahendra Ganpule, former vice-president of State Headmasters’ Federation. Teachers have also questioned whether the current examination pattern is the right way to assess experienced educators.“Making teachers with years of classroom experience appear for a theoretical examination reflects a lack of trust in them.

Instead of testing textbook knowledge, the assessment should focus on practical teaching skills and classroom application. The examination pattern needs to change,” school teacher Somnath Walke said.Primary school teacher Vaishali Deshmukh from Nashik said most of them spend the entire day teaching, completing official work and handling school records. “Preparing for TET means sacrificing personal time, but the questions rarely help us become better teachers,” she said.Teachers’ organisations have argued that maintaining quality in school education is important, but the assessment should be linked to classroom performance rather than theoretical knowledge alone.The examination has faced repeated disruptions this year. Originally scheduled for June 21, the test was postponed after National Testing Agency rescheduled the NEET re-examination for the same day. It was later rescheduled for June 28, but was postponed once again following the alleged Maharashtra TET paper leak, adding to the uncertainty faced by candidates.Hundreds of serving teachers are now required to qualify within the next two years. Education experts believe the debate is no longer about whether TET should exist, but whether its present format fairly measures the competence of experienced teachers while ensuring quality in schools.