Kolkata, 01 October (H.S.): West Bengal School Education Minister Deepak Barman on Thursday assured that the stalled recruitment process for primary teachers in the state will be expedited and concluded at the earliest. Addressing a press conference held at Bikash Bhavan, the minister stated that the ongoing pending primary recruitment drive will be brought to a swift close, immediately paving the way for the initiation of the next recruitment phase.

Emphasizing the government's commitment to regular examinations, he affirmed that the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) will henceforth be conducted annually, drawing a parallel to the yearly celebration of major festivals like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, and Saraswati Puja.

The last Teacher Eligibility Test for primary school recruitment in West Bengal was held in 2022, yet the recruitment drive linked to it has remained incomplete to date. Following sustained agitations and severe pressure from candidates who cleared the 2022 exam, the previous Trinamool Congress government had issued a recruitment notification on September 25, 2025. However, even after an entire year had elapsed, the recruitment process could not be fully executed.

Subsequent to the notification in September 2025, phase-wise district-level interviews for 13,421 posts commenced on December 31. Following the conclusion of the first four phases, the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) issued a notification on February 27 to initiate the fifth through tenth phases of interviews covering Nadia, Purulia, Bankura, Alipurduar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda, Paschim Bardhaman, and Birbhum districts. Under this schedule, the fifth-phase interviews for Nadia district concluded on March 19. Subsequently, the sixth phase commenced for Purulia on March 23, but by that time, the assembly election dates had already been announced, raising serious regulatory questions regarding the propriety of conducting employment interviews while the model code of conduct was in effect.

Later in April, the WBBPE revealed that the Election Commission had addressed a letter to the School Education Department on March 27 seeking clarification regarding the ongoing interview process. While the board submitted a comprehensive explanation on March 30 justifying the procedures, it ultimately decided to stay the entire interview process on April 1. Following the conclusion of the assembly elections and the assumption of office by the new government, the stalled interview process had not yet resumed, sparking fresh controversy and mounting discontent among aspiring teachers.

When questioned by reporters at the briefing, the minister reiterated that the existing recruitment process would be concluded rapidly before transitioning to subsequent recruitment drives. He explained that once this pending recruitment is completed, a fresh TET will be organized based on newly determined vacancies. Reaffirming the administration's pledge, he stated that just as Bengal celebrates its annual festivals without fail, TET examinations will now be a permanent annual feature of the academic calendar.

Reacting to the minister's statement, Bangiya Sikshak O Sikshakarmi Samiti General Secretary Swapan Mondal remarked that the previous regime had also made repeated promises of annual exams, but appointments were rarely made, and the system remained plagued by corruption charges. He added that the actual integrity and job generation capacity of the new government's annual TET pledge would become evident in due course. In contrast, Bapi Pramanik, State General Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (School), welcomed the initiative, asserting that the new dispensation recognizes the vital role of education and culture in national progress. He observed that filling teaching vacancies is essential both for safeguarding the education system and generating employment, expressing confidence that the accountable administration would deliver tangible benefits to citizens. Meanwhile, Bidesh Gazi, President of the 2022 Primary TET Pass D.El.Ed Aikya Manch, expressed deep frustration over prolonged administrative delays, demanding a definitive completion timeline and lamenting that four years of waiting had become utterly unbearable for job aspirants.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh