West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has moved the Supreme Court with a pending plea to review its recent order that led to cancellation of over 25,000 teacher and non-teaching posts throughout the state. The development follows the April 3 verdict by the apex court which quashed the whole panel of appointments given during the 2016 recruitment process on account of widespread irregularities. As the school education system struggles under the effects of this ruling, WBBSE has cautioned of grave implications for school operations across the state.

The WBBSE, in its appeal, has requested the Supreme Court to permit those candidates who had nothing to do with any wrongdoing to stay on in their positions at least until the close of the current academic session or until a new recruitment process is completed—whichever earlier. The Board noted that it would cause an enormous disruption in the day-to-day working of schools and a significant impact on the education of students if the employees were fired in bulk.

The Supreme Court’s judgment maintained an earlier judgment of the Calcutta High Court on April 22, 2024, which had also held the recruitment process null and void based on serious procedural defects and corruption. As a result, 25,753 people who were employed as teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run and state-aided schools have become jobless. Most of the affected persons have voiced deep distress, claiming that they were unfairly penalized because the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) could not distinguish between those who got jobs through forgery and those who were recruited legally.

WBBSE, in its submission, drew attention to the likely extent of the impact. Based on its estimates, up to 11.3% of the state’s existing teaching staff may have to face the loss of jobs on account of this judgement. This is at a time when the education infrastructure in West Bengal is already reeling from a teacher shortage. According to the recent statistics, the state has a total teaching force of 1,51,568 (headmasters excluded) and nearly all schools have one teacher per subject for classes V to X. The large-scale termination may go a long way in weakening the ability of schools to handle classes efficiently, especially in rural and semi-urban regions.

The WBBSE also painted a picture of the size at which it operates and mentioned that it administers 9,487 high schools within the state. Of these schools, 6,952 schools possess higher secondary sections that together enrol more than 78.6 lakh students. The board also manages 6,350 upper primary schools that provide education for students between classes VI to VIII. Such massive staff removals, the Board’s argument is, may pose dangers to educating tens of millions of children, could interfere with continued academic planning and schedules, and place even further burdens upon other faculty remaining behind.

The circumstances are especially dire since the state already has a shortage of faculty, with most schools relying on one teacher per subject. Taking over 25,000 staff off the job would not only worsen this situation but also halt any academic gains made in the past few years, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

They who lost employment have organized protests and expressed their frustration, insisting that many of them had undergone the recruitment process honestly and should not be punished for others’ mischief. They are appealing to the government and the judiciary to view their individual files and reinstate those who come out clean after due examination.

As the legal battle continues, the state’s education department remains caught in a bind—torn between ensuring justice and restoring public trust in the recruitment process, while also maintaining the smooth functioning of its vast network of schools. All eyes are now on the Supreme Court as it considers WBBSE’s plea for interim relief. The ruling may decide if the state’s schools can be allowed to enjoy continuity or will have to contend with an unparalleled crisis in their pedagogy.