Kolkata: The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Sunday held the second phase of the second State Level Selection Test (SLST) for assistant teachers of classes XI-XII. Of 2,46,543 registered candidates, 2,29,497 appeared, marking a 93.09 per cent turnout. Earlier, on September 7, the IX-X test saw 2,93,152 of 3,19,961 applicants appear (91.62 per cent).
Altogether, 5.66 lakh candidates had applied across both levels, with over 5.22 lakh appearing. Significantly, a large section of aspirants came from outside Bengal: 31,322 (9.79 per cent) for IX-X and 13,517 (5.48 per cent) for XI-XII, largely from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Praising the smooth conduct of the exams, Education minister Bratya Basu credited the Chief Minister’s guidance and the Commission’s efforts for ensuring transparency. “Despite challenges over the past two years, the SSC has prioritised merit and fairness,” he said.
Basu said the figures reflect the lack of jobs in BJP-ruled states. “The record of success or failure of the so-called double-engine government is revealed in these statistics. There are no jobs in such states and even the Centre has failed to provide employment. That is why candidates are coming to Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal for opportunities,” he said.
Candidates leaving centres shared mixed reactions. “The XI-XII paper was tougher than IX-X, but fair,” said Sreetama Ganguly of Kankurgachi. Abhijit Bhakta of Rajarhat-New Town said the exam went better than expected. For some, the recruitment was also a chance to return home. Sani Kumar, a commerce candidate from Kolkata teaching in Bihar since 2024, said: “Competition will be stiff as UP and Bihar candidates are also here.”
Basu dismissed concerns about out-of-state participation. “Competition is open and free. The limited seats in English and Hindi mediums make it tougher, but it is not our government’s policy to deny anyone the chance. Bengal has always embraced everyone. Under Mamata Banerjee, there has never been discrimination on religion, caste, community or region,” he said.
Candidates were provided with duplicate copies of their OMR sheets. The OMR sheets will be retained for two years after the expiry of the panel, while scanned copies will be preserved for ten years. The final panel and waiting list, to be released after interviews, will remain valid for one year from the first counselling, extendable by six months with government approval.
The WBSSC will publish the provisional answer keys for its assistant teacher recruitment examinations this week. The model key for classes IX-X will be released on Tuesday, followed by the XI-XII version by September 20.
Candidates will get five days to raise objections or submit suggestions before the final keys are issued. The evaluation of OMR sheets will be based on the revised keys, after which the Commission will publish the list of candidates shortlisted for interviews and lecture demonstrations.
WBSSC chairman Siddhartha Majumder said interviews are expected to begin in November. Candidates with prior teaching experience in government-run schools will be awarded up to 10 marks, two marks per year, whether permanent or contractual.
On Opposition criticism, Basu remarked: “Filing cases is their right, but I must remind them that lakhs of candidates who sat for the exams are our own children. Many allegations have been made, but not a single proof has been produced. I doubt whether spreading unsubstantiated claims helps anyone, least of all these students.”