Kolkata School Job Seekers March Against WBSSC Grace Marks Provision
Protesters demand equal opportunity in Bengal’s school recruitment.
Hundreds of school job aspirants took to the streets of Salt Lake, on the eastern outskirts of Kolkata, in a fervent protest against perceived injustices in the recruitment process for government-aided schools. The demonstrators, who recently appeared for the State Level Selection Test (SLST) conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on September 7 and 14, gathered at Karunamoyee Metro station and marched one kilometer to Bikash Bhavan, the headquarters of the state education department, to voice their grievances.
The protesters are vehemently opposing a controversial provision that awards 10 extra marks to previously employed teachers who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court ruling. In April, the Supreme Court declared the 2016 recruitment process for 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in state-aided schools as “vitiated and tainted,” leading to their dismissal.
The affected teachers, deemed untainted, were allowed to participate in the fresh SLST exams but with the added advantage of grace marks. The aspirants argue that this provision undermines fairness, tilting the recruitment process in favor of former employees and violating the principle of a level playing field for all candidates.
“We are not against the sacked teachers, but giving them extra marks is unfair to new aspirants who have worked hard to compete,” said Priya Mondal, a protester and SLST candidate. The demonstrators also demanded the immediate release of vacancy details for government-aided schools, emphasizing transparency in the recruitment process.
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Adding to the unrest, non-teaching staff who lost their jobs in the recruitment scandal shared their struggles, noting they have been without salaries for six months. “We are facing severe financial hardship, and the government must address our plight while ensuring a fair process for all,” said Anil Das, a former non-teaching staff member.
The protesters have sought a meeting with West Bengal’s Education Minister to present their objections to the recruitment notification and press for reforms. They argue that the grace marks policy not only disadvantages new candidates but also risks perpetuating flaws in the recruitment system. Community leaders and education activists have rallied behind the aspirants, calling for a merit-based, transparent process that upholds equality.
As tensions rise, the protest underscores broader concerns about job security and fairness in West Bengal’s education sector. The state government faces mounting pressure to address the aspirants’ demands while balancing the needs of sacked employees. With the SLST results still pending, the outcome of this agitation could shape the future of school recruitment in the state.
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