Mita Mukherjee
The West Bengal government on Thursday decided to create 6861 new teaching posts for classes IX to XII in state-aided secondary and higher secondary schools to accommodate aggrieved aspiring teachers who had been protesting for a long time alleging that they were not given jobs though they were among those who were waitlisted in the last recruitment process that took place six years ago.
Several such candidates are on indefinite sit-in-demonstration in the city . Many of them have appealed to court complaining about the irregularities in the recruitment process.
Education minister Bratya Basu said that the allegations of the protesting aspiring teachers were discussed with chief minister Mamata Banerjee in detail at the state cabinet meeting. The decision on creating the new posts was taken on the basis of an instruction of the chief minister, Basu said.
Asked whether the government took the decision on creating the new posts because of the prolonged agitation by the aspiring teachers, the education minister said: “ Whether there is movement or no movement, the honorable chief minister is of the opinion that if a demand is legitimate it should be fulfilled. The chief minister has spoken with the aspiring teachers. We have decided to create the new posts after examining their demand. The appointments will be held strictly on the basis of merit this time,” Basu said.
The chief minister on May 3 had called on the mobile phone of the deputy commissioner of the city police, south on Tuesday and spoke to a leader of the agitation aspiring teachers who are on the indefinite sit-in demonstration. The protesters have told the police that they would not withdraw their agitation till they received any written assurance from the state government.
Apart from accommodating the aggrieved aspiring teachers, the state government today also announced that it will recruit assistant teachers for Classes IX to XII and headmasters and headmistress of state-aided schools for the existing posts that have fallen vacant mainly due to retirement of teachers. Teacher recruitment for Classes IX, X, XI and XII in the state-aided secondary and higher secondary schools had been kept stalled for nearly seven years. The government had recruited teachers for these classes in 2016 for the last time. As a result several thousand posts have fallen vacant. Around 10,000 teachers retire every year, according to sources in the school education department.
Also read: West Bengal: Teachers recruitment priority
Posted in News, States
