State Higher Education minister Bratya Basu on Wednesday informed that the total number of vacant teaching posts in the state is about 45000. “We have collected information from schools across the state about existing teacher vacancies and have accordingly informed the state Primary Board and the West Bengal Central School Service Commission regarding the same. There are 11,765 vacancies in primary schools, 14,339 in Upper Primary, over 13,500 in secondary (class IX and X) and over 5,500 in Higher Secondary,” Basu told reporters in the state Assembly.
The School Service Commission is presently conducting counselling for recruitment in Upper Primary. The minister said that the recruitment against the vacancies will be made as per directions of the Calcutta High Court where a number of litigations about recruitment are pending.
The figure of teacher vacancies that Basu had given in the state Assembly on Tuesday stood at 781 with 13 teaching posts vacant in Higher Secondary schools, 28 in Secondary schools, 473 in Upper Primary schools and 267 in Primary schools.
“We welcome the Education minister for providing the correct information about teaching post vacancies today (Wednesday),” BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh said.