Offering clarity on the selection stage at which marks on prior-teaching experience can be awarded to School Level Selection Test (SLST) 2025 candidates, the Calcutta High Court ruled that the issue can only be addressed after the Supreme Court decides whether such marks can at all be awarded to the score of the candidates concerned.
The bench of Justice Amrita Sinha passed the order on Thursday after lawyers representing the relevant parties brought to the court's notice that the apex court has already fixed the hearing on granting teaching experience marks of the candidates on November 24 and 26.
The court was responding to a petition which challenged the stage at which the 10 marks earmarked for 'experience' be allotted, arguing they ought to be added during the compilation of the final merit list not before short listing candidates for interviews.
The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) submitted that the said marks must be included while preparing the list of eligible candidates.
The SLST-2 examination was conducted by the state SSC in September, 2025 in the wake of the Supreme Court previously scrapping the entire 2016 teachers recruitment panel on grounds of large scale corruption.
Following the publication of the written test results and follow-up interview calls for shortlisted candidates for recruitment to classes 11-12 in state-run and -aided schools earlier this month, large scale protests were held by fresh candidates who took to the streets alleging the SSC's granting of 'experience marks' to the now out-of-job untainted 2016 candidates was "unfair" and thwarted their qualification chances for the next stage.
The SSC is yet to publish the results for the tests of teachers' recruitment to classes 9-10, where it is likely to follow the same marking pattern.
While passing Thursday's order, Justice Sinha further directed that, in the meantime, it will be open for the petitioners to approach the apex court for further necessary relief, in accordance with law.
Bearing in mind the scheduled hearing dates on the related matter at the Supreme Court, the high court bench directed that the current matter be listed for hearing on November 28.
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