The state government will recruit 16,500 teachers in state-aided schools in the next two months, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Wednesday.

In all, 20,000 candidates have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test for appointment as teachers of Classes V to VIII (upper primary) in schools.

“There are 16,500 vacant posts; so, within December and January recruitment will be done. The rest among the 20,000 will be recruited in phases,” she said at Nabanna.

Those who clear the exam have to appear for an interview to get their documents checked, she said. At least 250,000 candidates applied for the TET primary exam that could not be held because of the pandemic.

“The West Bengal Board of Primary Education will conduct the exam as soon as possible in the offline mode. Many of our students will then get employment. There is an importance of government service and everyone wants to be a teacher,” Mamata said.

These applicants are looking for appointment as teachers of Classes I to IV (primary).

The Teacher Eligibility Test for upper primary and primary was last held in 2015.

The TET (primary) was held in October 2015. Around 3 million candidates took the exam for appointment to 43,000 vacant posts of assistant teachers in the 59,000-odd state-aided primary schools.

The results were declared in 2016 and more than 41,000 candidates secured jobs in 2017.

The West Bengal School Service Commission conducts interviews to recruit upper primary teachers and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education primary teachers.