HYDERABAD: Cracking diploma in education (DEd) or pursuing a bachelor's in education (BEd) will no longer be enough to be a teacher in a private school as the Telangana government has decided to make it mandatory for aspiring school teachers to clear the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) from next academic year.In a bid to improve quality in schools, the Telangana State Public Service Commission will hold the TET to filter the best candidates. Public and private schools can recruit only those teachers who have cleared this exam. So far, this exam was only mandatory fore recruitment of teachers for government schools. However, from academic year 2017-18, private schools will have to recruit as teachers only those who have cleared the TET.The decision comes after the school education department conducted a survey in private and government schools across the state last month. Authorities found that there are several teachers lacking in English language skills. They also found that 36 percent of those teaching in private elementary and high schools are not even eligible for TET and have not undergone any training programmes. Several states already have such a test in place keeping in mind the provisions laid down in the Right to Education Act.The state government is soon going to consult private school managements on the same before issuing orders in implementing the new system of recruitment. However, private schools are of the opinion that there is shortage of qualified and trained teachers in the market. "We are ready to recruit TET qualified teachers. However, the government fails to understand that we are forced to recruit unqualified teachers as there is acute shortage of candidates willing to come into teaching profession. Most of them recruited in private schools too come from Telugu medium. Therefore, candidates skilled in English language are a few," said Srinivas Reddy , president of TRecognized Schools Management Association.