In accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 23 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has laid down the minimum qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in class I to VIII, vide its Notification dated August 23, 2010. A copy of the Notification is attached at Annexure 1. One of the essential qualifications for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in any of the schools referred to in clause (n) of section 2 of the RTE Act is that he/she should pass the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) which will be conducted by the appropriate Government.

            The rationale for including the TET as a minimum qualification for a person to be eligible for appointment as teacher is as under:
             (i) It would bring national standards and benchmark of teacher quality in the recruitment process;
          (ii) It would induce teacher education institutions and students from these institutions to further improve their performance standards;
           (iii) It would send a positive signal to all stakeholders that the Government lays special emphasis on teacher quality.

       The TET examination may be conducted by a suitable professional body designated by the appropriate Government for the purpose. It will be conducted in accordance with the Guidelines hereunder.