26/09/2025
The Supreme Court of India has taken a landmark step by mandating that all teachers must qualify the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). This is not just a regulation—it is a safeguard for the future of our children. A teacher who cannot clear a basic competency test has no moral or professional ground to shape the minds of tomorrow.
But at the same time, justice demands balance. For individuals unable to qualify TET, the government must not abandon them. Instead, a constructive policy should redirect them towards alternative livelihoods—such as fully supported sheep farming initiatives, or debt waivers on existing car and home loans. Such measures would prevent economic distress while ensuring that only the competent enter the teaching profession. This way, the education system is protected from mediocrity, and individuals still retain dignity and purpose in other fields.
Ironically, so-called leaders of teachers’ forums are opposing this move without applying reason. How can incompetence be defended in the name of “rights”? If one cannot pass a simple TET, how can one justify standing in front of a classroom? At a time when lakhs of qualified, unemployed youth are ready to teach with passion and knowledge, it is unacceptable that mediocrity be shielded under protests.
Government teachers must also remember: they are not rulers of secure jobs, but servants of society entrusted with shaping young minds. If they resist accountability, the government should seriously consider handing education to private institutions, which in many cases are already outperforming public schools in quality, innovation, and results.
The choice is clear—either embrace accountability through TET and uplift the standards of teaching, or step aside and allow those capable and committed to lead the way. Our children deserve nothing less.
