Andhra Pradesh makes TET mandatory for teacher promotions

Metro India News | AMARAVATI : 

The Andhra Pradesh government has taken two major decisions aimed at improving the quality of school education and strengthening teacher performance standards in the state. The School Education Department has made the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for certain teacher promotions, while also announcing an international exposure programme for award-winning teachers in Finland.

According to the latest orders issued by the School Education Department, teachers seeking promotions to the posts of School Assistant and Grade-II Headmaster must now compulsorily qualify in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). The decision has been taken in accordance with guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and a recent Supreme Court judgment.

Officials clarified that the new rule applies to all teachers handling Classes 1 to 8, irrespective of when they entered service. Teachers must possess valid AP TET or CTET qualifications at the time of promotion to become eligible for higher posts.

To implement the policy effectively, the department will introduce a dedicated TET column in the seniority lists of School Assistants and Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs). The updated records will include details such as whether the teacher qualified in AP TET or CTET, the paper cleared, marks obtained, subject specialisation and medium of instruction.

The government had already provided an opportunity last year for in-service teachers to appear for the TET examination in anticipation of the revised promotion guidelines. Education officials said the move is intended to improve teaching standards, ensure professional competency and align the state’s school education system with national quality benchmarks.

In another significant initiative, the state government has decided to send 31 teachers who received State Best Teacher Awards, along with SIEMAT contract lecturer Satish Reddy, on an educational study tour to Finland, which is globally recognised for its innovative and student-centric education system. The delegation will also include School Education Director Tamim Ansaria.

The team is scheduled to visit the University of Turku in Finland from August 17 to 26 to study the country’s primary education model, classroom methodologies, teacher training systems and student learning practices.