Darjeeling: The Government of West Bengal has initiated the process for the creation and sanction of 1116 new teaching posts under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).
The move is expected to significantly enhance the quality of education in government schools across the hills.
The new posts are proposed for newly established Junior High Schools, upgraded High Schools, and Higher Secondary Schools falling under the jurisdiction of the GTA.
The proposal was submitted by the Principal Secretary of GTA and is currently under active consideration by the state’s School Education Department and the Home and Hill Affairs Department.
According to an official memo issued by the Commissioner of School Education, the proposal (GTA-17/12C/2024-EDEDD) is undergoing administrative processing. The Home and Hill Affairs Department has sought specific data related to the proposed posts, including clarity on whether the posts are entirely new or include previously sanctioned vacant ones. The respective District Inspectors of Schools in Darjeeling and Kalimpong have been instructed to furnish this information promptly in a prescribed Excel format.
GTA chief executive, Anit Thapa, described the development as fruitful and stated: “Fruitful outcome of our continued efforts to build the hills and revive it as an education hub.”
He also stated that the newly created teaching positions will go a long way in improving academic standards and addressing long-standing teacher shortages in hill schools.
“This is a happy moment for the people of our region. Our initiatives are gradually beginning to bear fruit,” he said.
The move is being seen as a significant step in addressing the educational needs of hill students while simultaneously creating local employment opportunities in the teaching sector.
Once the data verification and administrative procedures are complete, the recruitment process for the new teaching positions is expected to begin.
Teachers’ organisations of the GTA region have welcomed the development.