Kerala orders dismissal of teachers without K-TET qualification; promotions to be cancelled
THE Kerala General Education Department has issued a fresh order directing the dismissal of teachers appointed to aided schools after September 1, 2025, without the mandatory Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) qualification.
The order also directs the cancellation of promotions granted to teachers who do not possess the required K-TET qualification.
Issued on October 29, 2026, the government directive is based on the Supreme Court's September 1, 2025, judgment making the Teacher Eligibility Test compulsory for teachers covered by the Right to Education Act.
According to the new instructions, teachers who secured promotions after September 1, 2025, without acquiring the prescribed K-TET qualification must be reverted to their parent posts.
For instance, teachers promoted from the upper primary section to the high school cadre without the required eligibility certificate will be sent back to their previous positions.
The order also addresses candidates who received Public Service Commission (PSC) advice for appointment after September 1, 2025, but do not possess K-TET qualification.
They will be permitted to join service provisionally and can regularise their appointments after passing the relevant category of the eligibility test while retaining their advice seniority.
The government action follows the Supreme Court's rejection of review petitions challenging its earlier ruling on the mandatory eligibility requirement. The court subsequently extended the deadline for serving teachers to qualify to August 31, 2028.
Teachers who have less than five years remaining before retirement are exempted from the requirement to pass the test for continuing in service, although they will not be eligible for promotion without K-TET qualification.
The decision is expected to have significant implications for teachers in aided schools, particularly those appointed under earlier recruitment norms.
Teacher organisations have been raising concerns over the impact of the court ruling on experienced educators who entered service before K-TET was introduced in Kerala.
Meanwhile, the state government has been considering further legal options to address the concerns of affected teachers.
