KTET Latest Update 2025: Promotions Blocked, Teachers Under Pressure & Special Exam Announced

The Supreme Court 2025 TET judgement has created a major challenge for Kerala school teachers. The rule started as a guideline for school teacher qualifications has now become a statewide issue affecting over 65,000 teachers, including their jobs, promotions and retirement plans.

The court’s decision is clear, teachers without a KTET certificate cannot continue in their current positions, get promotions or apply for new teaching jobs. To help teachers meet this requirement, the Kerala Government has announced a special KTET exam, scheduled for February 2026. This is a crucial opportunity for teachers to secure their career and promotions.

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Kerala School Teachers’ Promotions Blocked Without KTET

One of the most immediate consequences of the Supreme Court’s 2025 TET verdict is the complete freeze on teacher promotions in Kerala for those who have not passed the KTET exam. Schools are no longer allowed to promote any teacher who lacks a valid KTET certificate, regardless of their seniority, experience or years of service.

This KTET-mandatory promotion rule has created a statewide promotion block affecting thousands of government and aided school teachers and caused:

A major backlog in promotions.
Loss of career progression for eligible teachers.
Confusion in staff arrangements for the current academic year.
Difficulty in filling higher post vacancies.
Hundreds of teachers retiring in March without receiving their rightful promotions.

For many educators, this has become an emotional and professional setback.

Teachers With More Than 5 Years Left Must Clear KTET or Lose Their Jobs

Kerala school teachers with more than five years of service remaining now face a strict condition under the TET Supreme Court Judgement 2025, they must clear the KTET exam before 1 September 2026. Those who fail to qualify by the deadline will be compulsorily retired, although they will still receive their retirement benefits.

This rule has created serious concern across the state, as thousands of in-service teachers now face job insecurity, rising pressure to prepare for KTET 2026 and fear of attempting a qualifying exam after many years. With the KTET mandatory rule, qualifying the exam has become essential for job safety, career growth and continued service in Kerala’s school education sector.

No Relaxation in TET: Centre Says KTET Mandatory for All Teachers

The Central Government has officially confirmed that there will be no changes or exemptions to the existing Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) rules, directly impacting Kerala’s ongoing KTET crisis.

Despite strong requests from teachers and organisations seeking relaxation, the Central Government made its stand clear:

No concessions in TET requirements
No amendments to the Right to Education (RTE) Act
No exemption from KTET or TET for in-service teachers
Quality of education cannot be compromised by bypassing TET

This decision ends all chances of legislative relief for Kerala school teachers. With the Central Government clearly stating that no amendments will be made, the only hope now is the Supreme Court review petition. This update confirms that KTET qualification will continue to be mandatory for teacher promotions, job continuation and new appointments in Kerala schools.

KTET Old Rules Raise Major Concerns for Pre-2009 Appointed Teachers

One of the most serious concerns arising from the Supreme Court’s 2025 TET judgement is the confusion surrounding KTET old rules, especially their application to teachers appointed before the 2009 Right to Education (RTE) Act.

This unexpected interpretation has created uncertainty and raised questions about fairness and eligibility. Many teachers appointed prior to 2009 now feel they are being evaluated under rules that did not exist when they joined service, leading to statewide discussions and legal responses.

This issue has resulted in:

Teachers feel unfairly targeted by the retroactive application of KTET rules.
Strong protests from multiple teacher organisations across Kerala.
Repeated demands for clarity and official guidelines from the state government.
A state-level review petition challenging the interpretation and implementation of KTET for pre-RTE appointees.

Kerala Government Announces Special KTET Exam February 2026

The Kerala Government has announced a Special KTET Exam in February 2026 to help teachers who have not yet qualified KTET. This special KTET exam gives teachers a chance to secure promotions, maintain job security and comply with the Supreme Court TET rule 2025.

This decision comes because of:

Promotion will not be happen for teachers without KTET
Jobs are at risk after 2027 for those who do not qualify
Stress and anxiety among Kerala teachers
KTET preparation is now unavoidable for long-term security

The February 2026 KTET Special Exam is a major opportunity for teachers to prepare, qualify and continue their careers without interruption.

Refer the following links to know more about the K TET Syllabus, KTET eligibility, K TET Exam pattern and others.

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