Many candidates who took the teachers selection test on Sunday said they were looking forward to getting a new job at the government-aided schools, while others said they appeared for the tests to retain their jobs after December 31 — a deadline set by the Supreme Court.

The School Service Commission (SSC) conducted the tests on Sunday to shortlist candidates for 23,212 teaching posts for Classes IX and X of the government-aided schools. The examination was conducted smoothly on Sunday, said SSC officials. The tests were held at 636 centres across the state.

The commission will conduct tests on September 14 to shortlist candidates for 12,512 teaching posts for Classes XI and XII.

Although 3,19,919 candidates applied, 2,91,126 candidates wrote the tests on Sunday, said an SSC official.

Many candidates, after stepping out of the examination centres on Sunday afternoon, said they were satisfied with the standard of questions and hoped that the commission would complete the recruitment process by December 31 as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The selection tests had been necessitated by the Supreme Court’s April 3 sack order, terminating the jobs of 17,206 teachers because they had been appointed through a “vitiated” recruitment process in 2016 by the SSC.

Brajagopal Khan, a former student of Swami Vivekananda Centenary College (Rahara), wrote the selection tests for the first time at NK Pal Adarsha Shikshayatan on Jhil Road near Jadavpur railway station.

Khan could not write the tests held in 2016 because he did not have a BEd degree, which is compulsory to write the tests.

“In the intervening period, I completed BEd. Since then, I have been waiting for the commission to hold the tests. I have always dreamed of becoming a teacher. Hope I could realise my dream now,” said Khan.

A resident of Budge Budge, Khan completed his graduation and postgraduation in chemistry.

He wrote the tests for the physical science subject. Khan expressed satisfaction over the level of the questions that had been set.

Papia Purakait, a candidate from Bamanghata in South 24-Parganas, was sitting on a sheet of paper on the metalled road outside the examination centre on Jhil Road, sifting through the books as part of the last-minute revision before the start of the examination at noon.

She came with her three-year-old daughter and husband.

“My husband works in a private firm. However, that is not enough to run the family. As our daughter will get into a school, the expenses will rise. I was eagerly looking forward to the resumption of the test so I could get a job. Finally, the day has come,” she told Metro.

Purakait, who is from Kantai in East Midnapore district, wrote the tests so she could get the job of an English teacher. She was also happy with the standard of questions.

For Papia Khanra, the selection tests were a must because she badly needed a job.

“I wrote the TET (Teachers’ Eligibility Test) in December 2023, which is held to shortlist teachers at the primary level (Classes I to V). However, the state primary education board has not published the results because of some legal issues. The board has not been holding tests (TET) since. Finally, the commission resumed the tests after nine years, overcoming a slew of legal challenges. I am just praying that the SSC lawfully holds the evaluation so that we get shortlisted,” said Papia.

She completed her graduation in English from New Alipore College and her postgraduation in English from Diamond Harbour Women’s University. She wrote the selection test for English subject.

Metro reported in October last year that the state primary education board had decided against holding TET until it was able to appoint teachers based on the tests held in 2022.

SSC chairperson Siddhartha Majumder said in a statement on Sunday evening that the selection test was “completed peacefully and seamlessly”.

“The percentage of attendance (as per the initial report) was around 91 percent. The commission is thankful to the state administration for its fullest support to enable us to hold the exam smoothly,” Majumder said in the statement.

Education minister Bratya Basu wrote on his X Handle: “The administration also looks forward to extending all possible help for the next Sunday’s examination for the higher secondary level with utmost security and transparency.”

An SSC official said they are committed to appointing teachers by publishing the results and subsequently holding interviews by December 31.

“The Supreme Court, while terminating the jobs of 17,206 teachers in April, gave us a mandate to complete the fresh appointment process after holding the selection tests afresh, by December 31. We will honour the deadline,” said the official.