Appealing to the protesting candidates who have cleared the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014 to end their dharna, West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) president Goutam Pal on Tuesday said the eligible candidates would have to appear in the examination to be held later this year.
The ongoing protest by a large number of candidates outside the education board’s office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake entered the second day on Tuesday with some beginning a hunger strike demanding appointment letters immediately. Nearly 500 candidates, who have passed TET in 2014, are staging a sit-in outside the primary board office since Monday afternoon, saying that they would not want to appear in a fresh examination.
Addressing a press conference at the WBBPE office, Pal claimed that the protest is “unjust” as they had appeared in the interviews twice but failed to get empanelled. He asserted that they would have to go through the fresh requirement process if they want to get the appointment letters.
“The provision of relaxing the age bar for candidates, who had cleared the written exam in the past eight to 10 years but failed to get an appointment letter, might be also be taken up for consideration by the government. But the candidates will have to get through the fresh recruitment process,” said Pal.
Asserting that the board cannot recruit anyone who did not find a place in the final list or panel or if the panel has expired, the WBBPE president said, “We will adopt a fair and transparent policy to recruit the teachers. Those having qualified the TET in the past 10 years or so are eligible to participate in the future recruitment process. If the government relaxes the age limit for candidates who had qualified the written test earlier, then those having crossed 40 years may sit for the exam again.” He also claimed that some people with vested political interests were instigating the candidates to continue with their protest. “The board would request the candidates not to disrupt a fair TET recruitment process or go against the interests of other job aspirants. I will urge the people who are instigating the candidates not to disrupt a fair recruitment process,” said Pal.
The agitating candidates, however, refused to withdraw their sit-in and said they would continue with their protest unless they get appointment letters. “We will not end our protest. We will fight till the end.
There were immense irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in the primary section. How will we know that we were not unfairly rejected in the previous recruitment process to suit the interest of those who scored less? Therefore, there is no question of turning back,” said an agitating candidate.
