Retired teachers offer voluntary service at schools
The Statesman | 6 April 2025
The Supreme Court in a judgment on Thursday upheld a Calcutta High Court decision cancelling en bloc a “tainted” selection process that saw the appointments of nearly 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools across the state.
The apex court verdict has given a severe jolt towards the smooth running of the secondary and higher secondary sections in most of the government run and government aided schools. The state education department has not yet issued any notification of termination of service or barring them from taking classes, yet many teachers whose names were listed in the cancelled panel of teachers, have stopped coming to school. The teachers appointing authority will have to issue a notification to the affected teachers within the stipulated three months period granted by the apex court.
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The headmaster of Rishra Vidyapith, Pramod Tiwari said they have lost eight teachers, Rishra Vidyapith unit-ll have lost 12 teachers out of 19 in the secondary and higher secondary section. There is no other option open than to shut down the higher secondary section since the school management is not empowered by the state education board to appoint teachers on contractual basis or on honorarium basis.
The headmaster added, it was a very heartwarming gesture when a retired science teacher, Chandan Kumar Mukherjee (70), offered to voluntarily teach to keep the classes running. “I am receiving more calls from retired teachers ready to offer themselves as voluntary teachers,” said the headmaster.