High absenteeism persists with 23% no-shows on day 2

Kolkata: The trend of high absenteeism continues in the Upper Primary counselling, with nearly 23 per cent of candidates absent on Friday.

The counselling process for recruitment of assistant teachers at the Upper Primary level in state-run schools, which began on Thursday, has shown a significant absenteeism rate.

On the first day, out of 144 candidates called for the Pure Science subject in Hindi, English, Telugu and Urdu mediums, 41 were absent and one candidate was put on hold due to category-related issues, resulting in an absentee rate of nearly 28 per cent.

On the second day, 110 candidates were called for counselling. According to West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) Chairman Siddhartha Majumder, 84 candidates were present on Friday, and after selecting their preferred vacancies, they were issued recommendation letters for appointment.

The reasons for the high absentee rate are unclear, but there are some presumptions. WBSSC officials suggest that since this recruitment process started nearly a decade ago, some absent candidates may have already secured other jobs and do not wish to leave them.

Some candidates echoed this explanation. WBSSC officials expect the absenteeism rate to decrease when counselling for Bengali medium candidates begins after the Puja vacation.

The WBSSC is conducting the Upper Primary teachers’ recruitment in compliance with a High Court order dated August 28.

The counselling will resume after the Puja vacation on October 24.