T’puram: At least 1,734 teachers attached to govt and aided schools in Kerala are on the verge of losing their jobs for not being able to acquire the mandatory Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET). K-TET was declared mandatory in line with the guidelines set by National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) in the academic year 2012-13, said general education minister V Sivankutty in the assembly on Tuesday.Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that TET is a mandatory qualification for all teachers in govt schools, irrespective of whether they were recruited before or after TET was made mandatory. The number revealed by Sivankutty refers to those who joined the service after K-TET was declared compulsory.The number of teachers without K-TET (who joined the service much before the new qualification was introduced) is not immediately available. The number of such teachers is being collected and instructions have been issued to get the same. SC order could wreck the foundation of our education system, said the minister.“SC ruling on Sept 1, 2025 over teachers’ qualifications caused a significant concern among those working in the field. The law aimed at making education a right for children aged 6 to 14 received the President’s approval on Aug 26, 2009. This law came into effect on April 1, 2010. Section 23 of this law stipulates that the academic authority appointed by the Centre will determine these qualifications of teachers through a notification. Subsequently, NCTE, appointed as the academic authority by the Centre, set the qualifications for teachers of Classes I-VIII through a notification on Aug 23, 2010,” he informed the assembly.Accordingly, teachers in Classes I-V must have completed 12th grade with a diploma in elementary education (DEIEd) or equivalent professional qualification and pass TET. For teachers in Classes VI-VIII, a degree, a two-year DElEd or BEd and passing TET are the required qualifications. SC’s ruling emerged in this context, making the qualifications set by NCTE in 2010, applicable even to teachers appointed before the RTE Act,” he said.Those with five years remaining in service are exempted from this requirement. However, the ruling states that those without the required qualifications should not be given any promotions. As per the Supreme Court verdict delivered on Sept 1, 2025, senior teachers who do not possess TET qualification may continue in service only if they have less than five years remaining until retirement. However, they will not be eligible for promotion. Teachers, who fail to clear the eligibility test in the two-year time period given to acquire the necessary qualification, will be removed from service.SC decision on TET may affect the job security of those who have been teaching for years. Additionally, this could develop into a serious academic issue affecting the quality of education in Kerala.