Kolkata, 3 April (H.S.): The Supreme Court's Thursday verdict that cancelled the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff appointed under the 2016 SSC recruitment process in West Bengal has led to uncertainty and anxiety among schools, teachers, students and parents. The verdict upheld the Calcutta High Court's decision, which cited large-scale irregularities in the recruitment process, such as tampering of OMR sheets and corruption.
Teachers from class 6 to 12 in government and aided schools in West Bengal are recruited through the School Service Commission (SSC). The verdict has led to the loss of jobs of 25,753 employees in one go, which is bound to have a direct impact on the routine of schools. For example, 2 employees from one school, 8 from another, and 36 from a third have been affected. In such a situation, the question of who will take the responsibility of conducting the classes remains unanswered. The lack of subject-specific teachers, especially for classes 11 and 12, could make it difficult to complete the syllabus. Parents and students are concerned that the quality and depth of teaching will be affected.
In addition, schools are already overburdened with work. Tests, assessments, and uploading of results to the Bangla Shiksha Portal are carried out regularly. Work is also underway to review the accounts of the secondary and higher secondary examinations, with 60-65% progress already made. But with such a large number of teachers and staff leaving, it will be challenging to complete this work on time. School authorities fear that it will not be possible to fill the gap immediately, as the new recruitment process will take time and is mired in litigation.
Although some sources say that the affected teachers and non-teaching staff need not resign immediately and may have three months' time, the Supreme Court order is clear that these appointments are illegal. This is bound to affect the morale of teachers. Those who served for four-five years now face an uncertain future. On the other hand, the court has given relief that the salary or benefits already received will not have to be returned, but the question remains who will replace them in future.
To deal with this crisis, the state government will have to take quick steps. The Supreme Court has directed to start a new selection process and complete it in three months. But this timeline does not seem practical given the complexities and legal hurdles of the recruitment process. An immediate alternative arrangement is needed to maintain the teacher-student ratio in schools and to run academic activities smoothly. It is also possible that the government appoints other teachers or temporary staff in the interim, but the policy and administrative preparations for this are not yet clear.
This decision of the Supreme Court is a step towards ensuring transparency and fairness in the recruitment process, but its immediate consequences are challenging for schools. Who will teach? and How will the school activities run? The government and the education department will have to find answers to such questions as soon as possible, otherwise the studies of students and the functioning of schools may be badly affected. Meanwhile, the CBI investigation will continue, which may bring more revelations in the future.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
