West Bengal Education Minister Calls TET Protests ‘Irrational’ Amid Job Demands
Kolkata, Sep 11: West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu slammed the ongoing protests by TET-qualified candidates as "irrational" and "pointless." These candidates, who passed the Teacher’s Eligibility Test (TET), are pushing hard for quick recruitment into primary and upper primary schools across the state.
Around 200 TET-qualified hopefuls gathered outside the State Assembly on Thursday, demanding immediate jobs. But Minister Basu fired back, saying the timing couldn’t be worse. "The West Bengal Primary Education Board just announced that TET 2022 vacancies will come out soon—probably in the next two or three days," he told reporters. "So, why protest now? It makes no sense."
Basu also debunked rumors flying around about massive job openings. "People are claiming there are 50,000 or 51,000 vacancies, but that’s just not true," he said. "We can’t pin down the exact numbers yet because the details come from district reports. Once we get the full picture, we’ll release the list."
He assured job seekers that things are moving along. "District-level teams have nearly finished compiling the vacancy data. We’ll issue the official notification right after that. So, hold tight—no need for these agitations right now."
The protests turned tense earlier in the day. Starting from Dorina Crossing in Esplanade, the group marched to the State Assembly, holding placards and chanting for TET recruitment. Things heated up when they tried to sit in protest near the gates, leading to a scuffle with police. Officers detained nearly 50 protesters and loaded them into waiting vans. Some even begged cops to let them stay and demonstrate.
Tensions like these highlight the frustration among thousands of TET-qualified candidates in West Bengal, who have waited years for stable teaching jobs. With school vacancies a hot topic, eyes are now on the government’s next move for primary teacher recruitment.
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