State govt to recruit teachers for specially-abled students

Kolkata: The state government has prepared draft guidelines for recruiting special educators who will be responsible for teaching children with special needs.

It is for the first time that the state government will be reserving 10 per cent of the vacancies for such teachers. Earlier the state would recruit on a contractual basis.

Sources said the Education department initiated the recruitment process from 2024-end. The state Cabinet has already approved the recruitment and the West Bengal Central School Service Commission is bringing amendments in teacher recruitment, rules paving the way for their induction.

The draft for the new guidelines is ready. The OMR sheet associated with the recruitment examination will be preserved for at least 10 years in the backdrop of uncertainty over the 26,000 teachers’ recruitment case where such sheets became a subject of contention. The copy of the OMR sheet will be handed over to the examinees after the examination.

Generally,140 candidates are called for an interview against 100 teachers. In this case, 120 candidates will be called against 100.

A 2021 Supreme Court directive mandated the states to create permanent positions for special educators based on pupil-teacher ratios and the recruitment of teachers for these regular positions.

Special B. Ed or D. El. ED degree is mandatory from institutes affiliated under Rehabilitation Council of India for becoming special educators. The apex court had earlier directed in connection with a case that there should be at least one special educator for four schools in the state. In this context there would be around 20000 special educators.