Retired teachers offer voluntary service at schools

HEMANT JACOB | SNS  |  HOOGHLY | 5 APRIL, 2025 : The Supreme Court, in a judgment on Thursday, upheld a Calcutta High Court decision cancelling en bloc a "tainted" selection process that had led to the appointments of nearly 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools across the state.

The apex court’s verdict has dealt a severe blow to the smooth functioning of the secondary and higher secondary sections in most government-run and government-aided schools.

While the state education department has not yet issued any official notification of termination of service or barred the affected teachers from taking classes, many whose names appeared in the cancelled panel have already stopped attending school. As per the court directive, the appointing authority must issue termination notifications to the affected teachers within the stipulated three-month period.

Pramod Tiwari, headmaster of Rishra Vidyapith, said they have already lost eight teachers. The Rishra Vidyapith Unit-II has lost 12 out of 19 teachers in its secondary and higher secondary sections.

“There is no other option but to shut down the higher secondary section,” Tiwari said. “The school management is not empowered by the state education board to appoint teachers on a contractual or honorarium basis.”