The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday granted an interim stay on the order issued by the Commissioner of School Education permitting the Chief Educational Officers of all districts to make temporary appointments to the vacancies for Secondary Grade Teachers and BT Assistants.
Justice M.S. Ramesh stayed the operation of the order.
The court asked the State why the appointment of teachers was being made on a temporary basis. It was hearing a petition filed by the TET Passed Candidates Welfare Association.
Association president R. Sheela Premkumari of Madurai district challenged the order, issued on June 23 by the Commissioner of School Education. She sought an interim stay on its operation.
She said the Association worked for the welfare of the candidates who had cleared TET (Teacher Eligibility Test), but had not been employed so far. Several persons who had passed TET way back in 2013 could not be selected because of the changes in the process of selection of Secondary Grade Teachers and BT Assistants.
She said that though there were vacancies, recruitment had not taken place in the recent years. The Association made several representations to the authorities to provide employment to those who had cleared TET by considering their seniority. Under these circumstances, the order was issued to the Chief Educational Officers, she said.
The minimum qualification of a pass in TET was not made mandatory and there was no notification of the selection process. There were many candidates who had cleared TET and there should be no relaxation in the minimum qualification, she said.
The State government submitted that the appointment of teachers was being made for a temporary period and priority would be given to those who had cleared TET. The case was adjourned by a week.
