The school education department has received around 5,000 applications from school staff dismissed by the Supreme Court in April, seeking to return to their previous government jobs.
An official said they were contacting departments where these applicants worked before joining as assistant teachers and Group C and D staff in secondary and higher secondary government-aided schools. The staff were hired through the school service commission (SSC)’s selection tests in 2016.
An SSC official said many teachers are uncertain about clearing the fresh tests. Applications for the tests, tentatively scheduled for September, are being accepted until July 14.
On April 3, the Supreme Court terminated 25,753 school jobs, saying the selection process was vitiated, but allowed those “not specifically found to be tainted” to return to previous posts within three months of applying.
“The Supreme Court gave directions on the reinstatement. The process of verifying the applications has been completed. Now, we are contacting their previous places of work to facilitate their return,” the official said. “We are developing a standard operating procedure to facilitate the rejoining. The process is likely to be completed before the Puja vacation.”
On June 20, the department asked district inspectors of schools to verify the credentials of those seeking to return, ensuring each applicant: (i) was appointed under the 2016 State Level Selection Test or Regional Level Selection Test, (ii) is not tainted, and (iii) held approved service on April 2, 2025.
Swapan Mandal, general secretary of the Bengal Teachers and Employees Association, said the number of applications shows that despite the state and the SSC filing review petitions, candidates are not hopeful of a favourable outcome. “They want to return to their previous posts, even at a lower salary, for job security.”