The school education department has asked the district inspectors (DIs) of schools to verify the credentials of sacked schoolteachers and non-teaching staff seeking to return to their former government jobs.
The commissioner of the department, in a notice issued on June 20, asked the DIs to verify whether applicants had cleared the 2016 selection tests conducted by the school service commission, featured in the list of untainted candidates, and were in service till April 2 — the day before the Supreme Court terminated their jobs.
The DIs have been asked to file their reports within three days.
An education department official said the Supreme Court, in its April 3 order, directed that the process of reinstating sacked but untainted candidates must be completed within three months of their application.
They had appeared for the 2016 recruitment tests for teaching positions in secondary and higher secondary government-aided schools.
“We began receiving applications in mid-April. The verification process is underway through the DIs and should be completed within the deadline,” said an education department official.
A June 20 notice sent to the District Inspector of Schools (Secondary Education), or DISSE, said: “The candidates who do not fall within the category of tainted candidates have been granted the opportunity to apply to their previous departments.... It appears that the candidates have submitted their applications to several authorities praying for joining in their previous services.”
“If the DISSE is satisfied (i) that the candidate was appointed under SLST (State Level Selection Tests) 2016/ RLST (Regional Level Selection Test) 2016 and (ii) that the candidate does not fall within the category of tainted candidates and (iii) that the candidate was in approved service in the school on 02.04.2025, then the DISSE will submit a report to the (School Education) directorate in the attached format.”
Teaching job aspirants took the SLST, and non-teaching candidates appeared for the RLST.
Swapan Mandal, general secretary of the Bengal Teachers and Employees Association, said: “Although the Supreme Court allowed teachers ‘not specifically found tainted’ to return to schools until the end of the year and appear for fresh recruitment tests to retain their jobs beyond December 31, many are uncertain about clearing the tests. They want to return to their previous jobs.”
Sources in the department said that around 2,200 candidates have applied so far.