Contribution of schoolteachers to online or other mode of teaching, distribution of mid-day meal and relief work during the Covid pandemic and after Cyclone Amphan, among others, will be taken into account while selecting Shiksha Ratna awardees this year.

The state government presents the award to school teachers, for their “outstanding” contribution to teaching and education, on Teachers’ Day (September 5) every year.

“… Due consideration has to be given on the role played by the applicant during COVID-19 pandemic & Amphan super cyclone relating to relief works and academic support extended to the students, MDM (mid-day meal) distribution works, teaching through online and other mode, participation in social campaign and his/her role for achievement of the students in Kala Utsav, INSPIRE award, School Games Competition etc…” according to a notification issued by the school education department.

Until last year, teachers applying for the award were assessed on the basis of certain criteria such as their educational qualifications, teaching experience, involvement in promoting education outside school, participation in social outreach programmes and role in helping poor but meritorious students.

According to a senior official of the school education department, never before had students been out of regular school teaching for so long and taught by teachers through online classes.

“Teachers had to adapt to this change. The new criteria for selecting teachers for the award were included to ascertain how effectively teachers are reaching out to the students, who are now confined in homes,” the official said.

A teacher of a state-aided secondary school who is an applicant for the award this year said he had to mention in the application the number of relief missions he had joined during the pandemic and after Amphan, the total number of online classes he had taken between March and July 31, the number of students he had taught and whether he had offered to visit a student’s home to provide him or her extra help in understanding lessons.

This year the Shiksha Ratna award will be presented to 40 primary and secondary teachers from state-aided schools. Teachers with at least 20 years’ experience are eligible to apply.

A senior official of the school education department said around 310 teachers had applied for the award till Saturday.

The government had started receiving applications on August 1 and the last date is August 10.

The government is yet to announce how the awards will be presented this year.

Teachers can apply through the portal www.wbdse.com, www.wbsed.gov.in or www.banglarshiksha.gov.in.

Teachers can also submit hardcopies of the applications in the offices of the local district inspector of schools by August 12.