Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Department of General Education has issued revised guidelines making the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test (K-TET) mandatory for teacher appointments and promotions in government and aided schools across the state, following a Supreme Court judgment dated September 1, 2025.

The new order withdraws several long-standing concessions and tightens eligibility norms for both serving teachers and new recruits.

Key changes in K-TET guidelines

  • K-TET compulsory despite higher qualifications: The government has revoked earlier exemptions granted to candidates holding higher academic qualifications such as SET, NET, MPhil, PhD and M.Ed. Under the revised rules, these qualifications will no longer substitute for K-TET, which will now be mandatory for teaching appointments and promotions.
  • K-TET requirement for aided school reservations: K-TET has also been made compulsory for appointments under differently-abled reservation quotas in aided schools, a move that has triggered allegations of discrimination from teacher organisations.
  • Restrictions on promotions: For high school teachers, K-TET Category III will now be mandatory to qualify for promotion as head teachers or for by-transfer appointments to the higher secondary section, including HSST and HSST (Junior) posts.
  • LP and UP teacher appointments: Candidates who have cleared K-TET Category I or II will continue to be eligible for Lower Primary (LP) and Upper Primary (UP) teacher appointments. However, Category III qualification is now compulsory for high school teacher appointments.
  • C-TET exemption retained: The exemption for candidates who have passed the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (C-TET) will continue. Those with C-TET Primary stage qualification will be considered for LP appointments, while candidates with C-TET Elementary stage qualification will be eligible for UP appointments.
  • By-transfer appointments tightened: Only teachers and non-teaching staff who have passed K-TET in the relevant category will now be eligible for by-transfer appointments to HST, UPST and LPST posts.

Concerns among teachers in service

The revised norms are expected to place many teachers currently in service under pressure, as promotions and service benefits will now be directly linked to the K-TET qualification.

Teacher organisations protest

Opposition teacher organisations have criticised the government, accusing it of misleading the teaching community. KSTU state president K M Abdullah alleged that the General Education Department issued the new circular in contradiction to earlier assurances recorded in official minutes that promotions would not be stalled on the grounds of K-TET.

KPSTA state president K Abdul Majeed and general secretary P K Aravindan also alleged that the government was using the Supreme Court verdict to halt promotions and service benefits, despite the apex court granting a two-year time limit for acquiring the K-TET qualification.