WBBPE to challenge Calcutta HC’s order to terminate 36K primary teachers

Kolkata, May 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) is set to challenge the order of the Calcutta High Court to terminate the services of 36,000 primary teachers in different state-run schools in West Bengal.

WBBPE President Gautam Pal said that the termination of 36,000 jobs will create a major chaos in the state education system.

"We can say for sure that not a single primary teacher lacks requisite training. We will challenge the decision at the right forum," Pal told mediapersons a few hours after the judgment was pronounced by the single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

He also claimed that all the recruitments were made as per existing legal provisions.

"The WBBPE arranged for the training of each and every primary teacher recruited in the open and distance learning mode and the training process was completed by 2019," Pal said.

He added that the board cannot just deny the responsibility for those teachers whose jobs are being terminated.

"Let us get the copy of the court order first and accordingly we will take a decision," he said.

Earlier on Friday, while passing the order for termination of 36,000 primary teachers, Justice Gangopadhyay had observed that none of these teachers had proper training for getting recruited as primary teachers and they got recruited without appearing for the compulsory aptitude tests.

However, Justice Gangopadhyay directed that these 36,000 primary teachers will be able to attend their respective schools for the next four months and during that period they will be paid the salary of para-teachers instead of that for regular teachers.

If any candidate among these 36,000 completes the requisite training in the interim period, he/she will be eligible for appearing for examinations in the next recruitment phase.

Source: IANS