‘Late after 10:40 am, absent after 11:15 am’

Kolkata: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has announced that teachers and non-teaching staff arriving at schools after 10:40 am will be marked as late and those arriving after 11:15 am will be marked as absent.

The new academic year for state-run schools will begin on January 1. Prior to this, the WBBSE has released the annual academic calendar for 2025, which sets out the schedule for academic work, prayer and assembly times, attendance requirements, mandatory class routine structures and other regulations for all recognised schools. According to the Board, all teaching and non-teaching staff, including the head of the institution, are required to attend the morning prayer assembly, scheduled from 10:40 am to 10:50 am. Staff arriving after the designated times will be marked either late or absent. The appointed school hour is 10:35 am, 15 minutes before the start of class teaching.

The WBBSE has also specified that teaching and non-teaching staff are not permitted to leave the school premises before 4:30 pm, except for official assignments. The Board has also introduced a strict ban on the use of mobile phones and smart devices within school premises. Students are prohibited from bringing such devices to school, while teachers are requested not to use mobile phones inside classrooms and laboratories

during the teaching learning process to avoid distracting students. The random use of mobile or smart phones and Bluetooth devices by teachers in classes is strictly prohibited. If mobile or smart phones need to be used as teaching aids for a particular class, prior written permission must be obtained from the head of the institution in advance.