WB Teachers TET: Centre Seeks Data of Thousands of Teachers Without TET in West Bengal, Big Issue in Upper Primary

WB Teachers TET: A new situation has emerged regarding the exchange of data on teachers’ qualifications between the Union Ministry of Education and the State School Education Department. Based on a recent directive from the Supreme Court, the Central Government has asked the West Bengal government to provide details on exactly how many teachers in the state do not possess TET (Teacher Eligibility Test) or equivalent qualifications. On December 31st, Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy, demanded detailed statistics from the state in this regard. The primary objective of this instruction is to create a clear understanding of how many teachers might be affected by the court’s verdict.

While this summons from the Centre has increased activity within the State Education Department, significant complications have arisen in data collection, particularly at the upper primary level.

What is the Scenario at the Primary Level?

Work on collecting data for primary teachers has progressed significantly. Lists of teachers engaged in teaching have already been prepared through the District Primary School Council (DPSC) and District Inspectors (DI).

According to information obtained from Bikash Bhavan and relevant departmental sources, several important statistics have emerged:

• The number of teachers currently working in primary schools in the state is approximately 1.40 lakh.
• Out of this, there are about 60,000 teachers whose recruitment was not done through the TET exam.
• A large portion of these teachers were appointed between 2006 and 2010 under the rules prevalent at that time, through the DPSC’s 100-mark interview or examination process. Consequently, they are not expected to have TET-related documents.

Why the Complexity in Upper Primary?

While the calculations for primary schools are somewhat clear, the administration is struggling to segregate data for teachers of classes V to VIII, or the upper primary level. The main reason behind this is the state’s long-standing old recruitment method.

The Single Exam Issue:
From 1998 until before 2016, the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) used to conduct a single uniform examination for the recruitment of teachers from class V to class X. This means that a teacher teaching in class V and a teacher teaching in class X were enlisted in the same panel. Although the upper primary (V-VIII) and secondary (IX-X) levels are separate under current rules, making this distinction in old records is practically impossible.

‘Normal Section’ and Panel Confusion:
Since the exam and panel were the same, it is now difficult to suddenly sift through old documents to determine who was appointed solely for upper primary and who for the secondary level. This segregation has become even more complicated for teachers in the ‘Normal Section’. As a result, determining the exact number of non-TET upper primary teachers has become a challenge for the department.

Digital Portal and Administrative Steps

According to a section of administrative officials, there should not be a lack of data in the current digital era. The salary process for the state’s teachers and non-teaching staff is managed through the ‘IOSMS’ portal. According to the rules, detailed recruitment information for every teacher should be available there.

However, the problem is that while individual data exists on the portal, filtering or verifying the list of non-TET upper primary teachers collectively is time-consuming. Department officials believe that it is not possible to send any figure to the Centre in a hurry without detailed scrutiny. This uncertainty and the slow pace of data collection have created an atmosphere of anxiety among upper primary teachers and headmasters.

Future Plans and Teacher Organizations

The letter from Delhi has asked not just for numbers, but also for a ‘Pathway’ or solution to this problem. The future of thousands of teachers depends on what legal advice or proposal the state government presents to the Centre.

Teacher organizations feel that the state should promptly and accurately present these complexities regarding the ‘section issue’ and the division between upper primary and secondary levels to the Centre. This is crucial to ensure that no legal entanglements arise due to incorrect information and that teachers’ interests are protected. Given the direction in which the situation is heading, the steps taken by the State Education Department in the coming days will be extremely important.