The state primary education board has sought a list of vacant teaching posts from the school education department so they can fill them before the next round of recruitment tests.

Board president Goutam Paul said they have approached the commissioner of school education for the district-wise vacant teaching posts in government-aided primary schools.

The Telegraph reported on October 27 that the board had decided against holding the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) this year to appoint teachers in government-aided primary schools (Classes I to V) as it could not recruit teachers based on the tests held over the past two years because of litigations.

Paul said they would issue an advertisement after getting the details of the vacant posts.

Those who cracked the recruitment tests in 2021, 2022 and 2023 would be called for interviews, he said.

The Supreme Court recently upheld a Calcutta High Court order about constituting an expert committee, which will have a representative each from Visva-Bharati, Calcutta University and the primary education board, to look into complaints about incorrect questions in TET 2021 and 2022.

An official of the board said the expert committee is going to be constituted soon and the recruitment process will start after factoring in the panel’s opinion.

Paul said they were hopeful of completing the recruitment exercise within the next six months.

“The board has sought a list of vacant teaching posts from the department. We want to carry out the pending recruitment process before holding the next recruitment tests. An advertisement will soon be issued once we get details of the vacant positions,” he
said.

The results of the TET held in December 2022 had been declared in February 2023. However, the recruitment could not be held because of the litigations.

The results of the TET held in December 2023 could not even be published as the board had failed to proceed with the recruitment based on TET 2022.

Over 2.8 lakh candidates wrote TET 2023 compared to 6.9 lakh in 2022.

Many said the sharp drop in the number of examinees suggested candidates were
losing interest because recruitment had been kept on hold.

If the board decides to allow those successful in TET 2022 to appear for interviews, then the results of TET 2023 would have to be published.

“We will soon take a call on this,” Paul said.

The board had appointed around 9,000 teachers based on TET 2017 held in January 2021.

However, the fate of these candidates is subject to what the expert committee says.

“Since all successful candidates in TET 2021 could not be appointed, those who are yet to be recruited will be called for interviews,” said a board official.

“Let the expert committee give its opinion. If some corrections have to be made, let that be incorporated if found valid. But the recruitment process should not remain stalled,” the official said.