STATE GOVT EXTENDS RETIREMENT BENEFITS TO PART-TIME, PARA TEACHERS, No School Has Been Shut In Bengal

PR, KalimNews, Kalimpong, 17 March 2022: State Education Minister Bratya Basu on Tuesday informed the Assembly that the West Bengal government has extended the retirement age of part-time and para teachers to 60 years, and has ensured smooth facilitation of teachers who opt for voluntary retirement. 

No School Has Been Shut In Bengal: Basu

Basu also claimed that not even a single primary school in Bengal has shut down either due to the lack of teachers or students.

The education minister was replying to a query from a BJP legislator. “Our Chief Minister believes in giving every teacher the recognition they deserves. The humanitarian approach adopted by our government is the most unique in the country,” Basu said, in his reply to BJP MLA Manoj Tigga.

Student-Teacher Ratio In State In Accordance With RTE Act

According to the data available with the education department, the number of primary schools in the state till January 31, 2022 stood at 50,361 with the student teacher ratio being 29:1. The Right to Education Act recommends that the student teacher ratio remain around 30:1.

The number of students studying in the primary level in different schools across the state is over 52 lakhs. Basu also claimed that the number of Bengali, English and Hindi medium schools in the state remained 47,602, 719 and 1,213, respectively. “Two new Kamtapuri-medium schools are being set up in the state,” Basu added. 

13,676 Student Credit Cards Sanctioned

Meanwhile, in response to a question on the Student Credit Card scheme, Basu said that 13,676 Student Credit Cards have been sanctioned and around 8,000 students have already received such cards.