Experience deserves respect, not retesting: A national appeal for justice to teachers

• Why should teachers be punished after decades of dedicated service"?

The strength of any nation lies not in its buildings, roads, or institutions, but in the quality of its teachers. It is the teacher who shapes the citizen, the scientist, the soldier, the farmer, the doctor, and the leader of tomorrow. Therefore, any policy affecting teachers must be guided by fairness, sensitivity, and natural justice.

The recent Supreme Court judgment making the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all teachers has created deep concern among nearly 25 lakh teachers across India, particularly those who entered service before the introduction of TET on August 23, 2010. While we fully respect the judiciary and wholeheartedly support the objective of ensuring quality education, we believe that applying this requirement retrospectively to teachers who were appointed legally under the rules prevailing at that time raises serious questions of justice and practicality.

For decades, these teachers have dedicated their lives to educating children in villages, towns, and cities. They have served in difficult terrains, worked in remote schools, participated in census duties, election responsibilities, disaster management, vaccination campaigns, and numerous other government assignments. Many of them are now in their forties, fifties, and approaching retirement. Yet today, after years of exemplary service, they are being told that their professional worth will be judged through a single examination that did not even exist when they were recruited.

Can decades of classroom experience be reduced to a multiple-choice test? 

Can the contribution of a teacher who has successfully guided generations of students be measured solely through an examination paper? 

Can a person who has spent twenty or thirty years teaching children suddenly be considered unqualified because of a newly imposed condition?

 These are questions that deserve serious national reflection. 

No one disputes the importance of maintaining educational standards. However, quality education is not achieved merely through examinations. It is built through dedication, patience, classroom management, emotional intelligence, practical teaching skills, community engagement, and years of accumulated experience. These qualities cannot always be captured through objective-type questions. 

The issue becomes even more sensitive when viewed from the perspective of livelihood. Most affected teachers belong to middle-class families. Many are the sole earning members of their households. The uncertainty created by the possibility of adverse service consequences has generated immense anxiety among teachers and their families. A policy intended to improve education should not inadvertently create fear and insecurity among those who have devoted their lives to that very mission. 

The principle of natural justice demands that individuals should not be penalized for failing to meet a qualification that was never required at the time of their appointment. Teachers recruited before the introduction of TET fulfilled all eligibility criteria prescribed by the government and educational authorities of that period. Their appointments were valid, legal, and in accordance with the law. 

The nation must therefore distinguish between future recruitment standards and retrospective application of qualifications. Strengthening the quality of education is essential, but this objective can be achieved through constructive and inclusive measures such as professional development programmes, refresher courses, capacity-building workshops, digital training initiatives, and performance-based assessments. Such measures improve teaching standards without undermining the dignity and security of experienced educators. 

Recognizing these concerns, Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh has decided to organize a nationwide democratic movement on June 18, 2026. Teachers across districts will submit memorandums to the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Union Education Minister through District Collectors, requesting a fair and practical resolution to this issue. 

This movement is not against educational quality. It is not against reforms. It is not against accountability. 

It is a movement for fairness. 

It is a movement for respect. 

It is a movement to protect the dignity of teachers who have already proven their capability through years of service. 

We appeal to policymakers, educationists, legislators, and society at large to recognize that experience is also a qualification. A teacher who has successfully taught thousands of students over decades possesses a wealth of practical knowledge that no examination can fully measure. 

The future of education requires both standards and sensitivity. It requires reforms that strengthen the system without sacrificing justice. Most importantly, it requires trust in the teachers who have faithfully carried the responsibility of nation-building for decades. 

As teachers across India prepare to raise their voice on June 18, let this be understood not merely as a protest but as a collective appeal for fairness. The nation must stand with its teachers, because when teachers are respected, education is strengthened; and when education is strengthened, the nation progresses. 

The question before the country is simple: 

Should decades of dedicated service be honoured, or should experience be overlooked in favour of a retrospective examination requirement? 

The answer will define not only the future of lakhs of teachers but also the values that guide our education system. 

 (The author is National Joint Secretary, Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shakshik Mahasangh – Delhi India), Contact @ drthakur868@gmail.com