‘Tr’ for teachers: Window dressing or mark of honour?
SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 06.09.2026
Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar’s announcement allowing teachers to use ‘Tr’ as a prefix before their names has drawn a mixed response, with teachers’ associations welcoming the move, while education experts called for greater attention to the profession’s status and teachers’ working conditions. Ramya Venkataraman, founder and CEO of the Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), said, “It is recognition for the profession and contributes towards making teaching aspirational, which all of us want.
At the same time, the devil lies in the detail,” she said. She added that the prefix should ideally be linked to certification of competencies rather than simply to a person’s role as a teacher. “Since NEP 2020 has opened up multiple pathways into the teaching profession, including allowing subject experts to enter through lateral routes, it is important that the prefix is open to these pathways as well, rather than being limited to the traditional route,” she said. Maya Menon, founder-director of Teacher Foundation, viewed it as a positive step towards giving the profession a makeover. “This has been an old tradition in Kerala, where teachers were always addressed by their names along with a suffix. Overall, I think it’s a good idea. The profession needs a deep-clean makeover, and the title is possibly a first step,” she said. However, AS Seetharamu, former faculty member at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, described the move as “lip service and window dressing” for teachers. He said the govt should instead prioritise improving teachers’subject knowledge, digital competence and confidence through greater investment in training.
“Nearly 70% of schools are located in rural areas. Villagers may not understand the meaning, expansion or significance of ‘Tr’, which has an English/British flavour. They understand ‘Guruji’ and ‘Master’, for which there is no need for government publicity,” he said. Seetharamu also called for better remuneration for guest teachers and greater investment in teacher development including teacher training and improving their digital competence. Teacher associations, however, largely welcomed the decision. The Karnataka Government College Teachers’Association said the prefix could also be used by guest teachers. “Any teacher is a teacher,” said Prof Manjunatha TM, president, Karnataka Government College
Teachers’Association (R).
He pointed out that professors already use ‘Prof’ before their names, while teachers with PhDs use ‘Dr’. The Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka also welcomed the move. HK Manjunath, honorary president, Karnataka State High School Co-Teachers Association, said the decision would enhance the dignity of the profession. “Giving teachers a short form will not only increase the respect for the teaching profession but will also allow teachers to work more consciously,” he said.
