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Retired teachers may play a second innings as WB school mulls inviting them as guest teachers to fill up vacancies
West Bengal state education minister Partha Chatterjee announced that the state was considering appointing retired teachers as guest teachers in the schools where needed.
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Congress MLA Nepal Mahato, in the Assembly, state education minister Partha Chatterjee today said, "We are thinking of appointing retired teachers as guest teachers in the schools where needed."
The minister stated that the state government had already written to the Centre twice, asking for its approval to announce the results of teachers' recruitment exams for the primary and secondary schools, "immediately".
"We have written to the Centre to allow us announce the results of the tests for recruitment of primary and secondary school teachers immediately. There is no response from the Centre and the principal secretary will visit New Delhi next week in this connection," Chatterjee told mediapersons.
Such is the shortage of teachers in the state that even candidates without B.Ed degree were allowed to appear in selection exams for appointment of teachers.
Though such a relaxation of requirement would have helped shore by the recruitment numbers, the recruitment process itself got stuck after the state's decision to allow people without B.Ed degree in the exams was challenged in the court.
"Then the Model Code of Conduct was there for which we could not complete the process (of teachers' appointment)," the minister said, adding over 35 lakh people had appeared for the tests and around 70,000 vacancies were to be filled up.
"If allowed, the entire process will likely be completed by December. A large number of aspirants are waiting eagerly for the results," he said.
Chatterjee, however, described the appointment of retired teachers as guest teachers as a "temporary solution" and assured that it would be done in a "rationalistic" manner.
"The governing bodies of the schools will decide whether they require teachers. On the basis of that they will send us a list for recruitment of a guest teacher. If a school has excess number of teachers and a nearby school has less, then the excess numbers of teachers will be transferred there," Chatterjee said.
Image Courtesy: thestatesman.com