The introduction of Vande Mataram in morning prayers and “austerity” measures that schools must implement are among the issues that the education department will discuss before schools reopen after the summer break.

Schools are scheduled to reopen in early June.

The meetings that will be held online have to be attended by the district magistrates, district inspectors of schools, the education secretary, and the school education commissioner.

They are likely to be held on May 26 and 27.

An education department official said school inspectors will be instructed to ensure “strict compliance” with the singing of Vande Mataram in all government and aided schools and madrasas.

The DIs will be told to pass on the message to the heads of institutions that they must send videos to testify that the order is being complied with.

“The new government is keen on the implementation of Vande Mataram. At the administrative review meeting scheduled on May 26 nd 27, this is No. 1 on the agenda. The DIs will be told to ensure that the schools and madrasas mandatorily sing Vande Mataram,” said an official.

On May 14, the education department issued an order making it mandatory for students in all government and government-aided schools across Bengal to sing Vande Mataram “in suppression of all previous orders and practices”.

On May 20, the state’s minority affairs and madrasah education department made singing the national song compulsory in all madrasas under the department.

Before the introduction of Vande Mataram, by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, students in government and aided schools and madrasas sang the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, by Rabindranath Tagore.

The government and aided schools were in November 2025 asked to include Banglar Mati Banglar Jal, also by Tagore, in the morning assembly by the Mamata Banerjee government.

The changes in school management may not be restricted to the inclusion of the prayer song.

The education department has already taken several measures to cut expenses at the departmental level in response to a recent appeal by the Prime Minister, which prompted the Bengal chief secretary to issue an austerity directive.

The headmaster of a government-aided school said they were curious about the possible measures for schools.

“During the tenure of the previous government, the composite grant, which is required to pay the daily expenses in schools, was halved. If the schools are now told
to implement austerity measures, how will the schools survive?” said another school head.

Raja Dey, the headmaster of Mitra Institution Bhowanipore Branch, said the “meetings later this week are very important”.

Teacher “rationalisation” and textbook distribution will also feature among the issues to be taken up at the meeting, the commissioner of school education said in a notification on May 22.

Sources in the department said the teacher rationalisation had to be discussed to address the shortage of teachers at the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels.

School recruitments were stalled for a decade following allegations of corruption against the Mamata Banerjee regime.

A barrage of petitions against the alleged irregularities in the appointments made by the Mamata government delayed subsequent recruitment drives.

In November 2025, the education department announced the transfer of 23,145 primary school teachers from government-aided primary schools as the vacancies in teacher positions had necessitated a “rationalisation process”.

“But the department finally did not implement the order. This could be taken up again,” said a source.