Teachers' bodies seek lower qualifying marks for special TET in Tamil Nadu
- Several teachers' associations submitted a petition to the Minister on Tuesday.
- They argue the current 60% qualifying mark for special TET is too high.
- The demand aims to address the acute shortage of qualified teachers in the state.
CHENNAI: A coalition of teachers' associations in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, urging him to reduce the qualifying marks for the special Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).
The organisations argue that the current cutoff of 60% is too steep, preventing a large pool of candidates from entering the teaching profession at a time when the state faces an acute shortage of educators.
Why the demand now
The special TET was introduced to fill vacancies in government and aided schools. However, associations say the high bar has resulted in fewer successful candidates, leaving many posts unfilled.
“We are not asking for a complete waiver, but a realistic reduction that still ensures quality. The current 60% is arbitrary,” a representative of one of the associations said.
The groups have suggested a sliding scale based on category, with lower marks for candidates from rural and economically weaker backgrounds.
Minister’s response
The Minister assured the delegation that their concerns would be examined. He did not commit to any immediate change but acknowledged the need to balance teacher quality with quantity.
Sources in the department say the government is aware of the shortage. Officials are studying data from previous TET exams to assess the impact of lowering the cutoffs.
Background of the issue
Tamil Nadu has over 30,000 teacher vacancies across primary and upper primary schools. The special TET was meant to fast-track recruitment, but the high qualifying marks have become a bottleneck.
In 2025, only about 25% of applicants cleared the test. Similar trends have been reported in other states that adopted the national TET framework.
Teachers’ bodies insist that the exam itself is rigorous enough to filter competence. Lowering the qualifying mark, they argue, will not compromise classroom standards.
What next
The education department is expected to review the memorandum in the coming weeks. A decision could be announced before the next round of special TET is scheduled.
All eyes are on whether the Minister will yield to the demand or hold the line on the existing cutoff.