The abrupt cancellation of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff jobs has plunged West Bengal’s school education system into crisis.
One such affected institution is the Birinchibari Surendranath Girls’ School in the remote Sunderbans area of Jharakhala. The school, which runs up to 12th grade, has 498 students.
Last week, when India’s Supreme Court ordered the termination of nearly 26,000 school teachers and staff hired in 2016, the school’s headmistress Arusima Mitra was devastated.
She said, “Perhaps I should have first thought of my colleagues who lost their jobs. But believe me, the first thought that struck me was—what will happen to my students? Who will teach them now?”
No Teachers Left—Who Will Teach the Children?
Even before the ruling, the school had only nine teachers for nearly 500 students. Four of them have now lost their jobs due to the Supreme Court verdict.
“We were already struggling with just nine teachers. Everyone was overburdened. I personally took classes regularly,” said Headmistress Mitra. “Now, running the school has become extremely difficult.”
This situation is echoed across thousands of schools in West Bengal. In many cases, half or more of the staff are gone. Some schools had only one teacher—who also lost their job. Retired teachers have stepped in at some places. Many individuals on social media have offered to teach for free.
In schools lacking support staff, even the head teachers are ringing the school bells themselves. “We have no science or geography teachers. Who will prepare the students for their higher secondary exams next year? What will happen to their future?” asked Mitra.
Both ‘Qualified’ and ‘Unqualified’ Teachers Were Fired
The Supreme Court order did not differentiate between roughly 7,000 allegedly corrupt hires and those who earned their positions on merit. As a result, both categories lost their jobs.
Many were accused of getting jobs by bribery, including some who submitted blank answer sheets in recruitment exams. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has probed the matter. Former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and several senior officials from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) have been arrested. However, in the latest ruling, the Supreme Court didn’t separate the qualified from the unqualified.
Teachers have criticized the government, asking why the qualified and unqualified were not categorized properly despite earlier commitments and existing CBI reports identifying those who paid bribes.
“Even the Supreme Court had earlier said it would define the criteria for distinguishing between qualified and unqualified candidates,” said Mehbub Mondal, a teacher from Dhosha Chandaneswar High School in South 24 Parganas and convenor of the Qualified Teachers’ Rights Forum.
He added, “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently said she would try to reinstate the qualified teachers, but she also hinted at rehabilitating the unqualified ones—which we strongly oppose.”
Teachers: Victims of Political Game
Many teachers believe they are victims of political conspiracies. Mehbub Mondal said, “While we—the qualified teachers—were terminated, the same Supreme Court rejected a CBI probe into the government’s creation of excess job positions.”
This implies that the state cabinet’s alleged backdoor plan to rehire corrupt hires could still proceed, shielding them from legal scrutiny.
“We ordinary people have been scapegoated for political gain ahead of the next state elections,” said Mondal. He blamed institutional failure and pointed fingers at the state government.
Brutality Against Teachers
While the controversy over the job terminations rages, police brutality against protesting teachers has added fuel to the fire. A video showing a police officer kicking a teacher during a protest in Kolkata sparked public outrage.
The Kolkata Police Commissioner and Chief Secretary had to hold a press conference. Commissioner Manoj Verma said only “mild force