In state-run schools: Teachers’ transfer process resumes

Dipali Sen, MP, 10 Nov 2024, Kolkata: The principal secretary of the state School Education Department, Binod Kumar, announced on Saturday that the transfer process of surplus school teachers has been resumed to maintain the student-teacher ratio (PTR) in state-run schools. 

In his keynote address on the second day of the ‘Education East Summit 2024’, organized by CII eastern region, Kumar stated: “Our current PTR is approximately 30:1. We have implemented measures to redistribute teachers. 

Our goal is to bridge the gap between schools with a high number of students and fewer teachers, and those with fewer students and more teachers.” 

The process of transferring surplus teachers to schools with lower student-teacher ratios is called ‘Rationalisation of Teachers,’ which began in 2023. 

Approximately 600 teachers were identified as surplus from upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools. 

To maintain the PTR, the process of transferring them began by invoking the administrative transfer provision under Section 10C of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) Act, 1997. 

However, the process was put on hold when some teachers’ organizations moved to the Calcutta High Court (HC), challenging the validity of the provisions under Section 10C of the Act, which empowers the State Government to direct the WBSSC to transfer teachers from one state-aided school to another on administrative grounds. 

The Calcutta High Court upheld the constitutional validity of Section 10C. However, this decision was challenged in the Supreme Court, which subsequently rejected the appeal in September of this year, returning the power to transfer teachers to the State Government. 

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the education department has resumed the process of transferring surplus teachers. Kumar confirmed this at the CII programme. 

According to sources within the Education Department, approximately 1,300 teachers have already been identified as surplus. 

The Education Summit was also attended by Ujjal Chakraborti, chairman of CII Eastern Region Education and Skill Development Sub-Committee; Simarpreet Singh, Co-Chairman of CII Eastern Region Education and Skill Development Subcommittee; and Indrani Bhaduri, CEO and Head of PARAKH, National Council for Teacher Education (NCERT).  

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