In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court has ordered the termination of service for 36,000 primary school teachers employed in various state-run schools in West Bengal. The court has directed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to fill up the vacant positions with newly appointed individuals. The recruitment process must be completed within the next three months, as per the court’s instructions.
Justice Abhijit Ganguly, presiding over the case, highlighted that none of the 36,000 teachers had undergone proper training or appeared for compulsory aptitude tests required for recruitment as primary teachers. This observation led to the decision to terminate their services. The court emphasized the importance of qualified and trained teachers in providing quality education to students.
While the termination has been ordered, Justice Ganguly has allowed the affected teachers to continue attending their respective schools for the next four months. However, during this period, they will receive the salary of para-teachers instead of regular teachers. This temporary arrangement aims to mitigate the immediate impact on both the teachers and the schools until the new appointments are made.
In a related development, the Calcutta High Court has scheduled a hearing on a petition filed by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee regarding the teacher recruitment case. The petition, filed by Soumen Nandy, brought attention to a public speech by Banerjee, which a judge had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate.
The case was originally under the jurisdiction of Justice Ganguly but was transferred to the court of Justice Amrita Sinha by the Calcutta High Court’s Acting Chief Justice, following a directive from the Supreme Court. Justice Sinha will consider Banerjee’s applications to be added as a party in the matter and to recall the order passed by Justice Ganguly. The hearing for these applications is scheduled for Monday.
The Calcutta High Court’s decision to terminate the services of unqualified primary school teachers is a significant step towards ensuring a qualified teaching workforce and improving the quality of education in West Bengal. The court’s focus on proper training and aptitude tests reflects a commitment to maintaining high educational standards in the state.