Retired teachers may fill up vacancies in WB schools

The West Bengal government is mulling to appoint retired teachers as guest teachers as a "stop-gap measure" to fill up a large number of vacant posts at primary and secondary schools in the state.
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 state government is looking into the issue of appointing teachers in primary and secondary schools with "extreme urgency", he said.
The minister said the state government had written to the Centre twice, asking for its nod to announce 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.
People without B.Ed degree were also allowed to appear in exams for appointment of teachers and the last date for such relaxation was fixed for March 31 this year.

The appointment process got stuck after the state's decision to allow people without B.Ed degree in the exams was challenged in the court, he said.

"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 Decemeber... 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.