Supreme Court’s TET Mandate Sparks Nationwide Anxiety Among Primary School Teachers

Political leader Imran Masood voiced strong reservations about the ruling on Monday, warning that the decision has left lakhs of in-service teachers caught in an unexpected eligibility crisis. Many educators—previously considered qualified under earlier norms—now worry that their credentials may no longer be recognized, placing their careers and livelihood in jeopardy.

Masood urged the central government to intervene swiftly and design a transition mechanism that safeguards the status of teachers appointed before the issuance of the new notification. He emphasized that while enhancing standards in the education sector is important, policy changes of such magnitude must account for the realities of existing staff who have served the system for years.

As calls for clarity grow louder, education experts and unions argue that any sudden enforcement without a protective framework could disrupt classroom functioning across states. With millions of children dependent on these teachers, the government is under increasing pressure to strike a balance between improving academic quality and ensuring job security for long-serving educators.

The controversy now stands as a crucial test of how India will navigate reforms in its foundational schooling structure—one that affects not only teachers and policymakers, but the future of students nationwide.