The recent announcement by the Tamil Nadu Teachers Recruitment Board (TN TRB) to conduct an additional examination to fill vacant teaching posts in various departments has caused frustration among candidates who had already cleared the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET). The decision to hold this recruitment drive, coming a decade after the last such effort, has left candidates disillusioned.
A. Elumalai, president of the 2013 TET-Passed Candidates Welfare Association, expressed his disappointment, stating that they had been advocating for these recruitments for years, even resorting to protests and meetings with education officials. The DMK’s failure to fulfill their promise to withdraw Government Order 149, which required TET-qualified individuals to undergo another test for appointment to teaching posts, has also fueled resentment.
While the notification states that 2,222 graduate teacher positions are available, candidates argue that the actual number of vacancies may be much higher due to retirements and promotions, estimating it to be around 6,600. Moreover, the change in the weightage system since their TET clearing has left many candidates ineligible for government teaching positions, causing hardship for individuals who had initially hoped for government employment.