SSC to recruit 42,000 teachers, staff

Kolkata: The School Service Commission (SSC) will fill up vacancies of about 42,000 teachers, non-teaching staff and Group D employees in schools right from upper primary to the higher secondary level by March 2019.
"I will stress upon filling up the vacant posts in schools and take all necessary measures to expedite the process as it will be employing so many job seekers," said Soumitra Sarkar, chairman of SSC. Sarkar has taken charge of the SSC from January 9.
Elaborating on the vacancies, Sarkar said the highest number of teaching vacancies lies in the upper primary level with 13,080 posts to be filled up. "Their counselling will begin by the end of January and accordingly the list will be forwarded to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) for handing over the offer letters," Sarkar said.
Speaking on the vacancies at the Madhyamik level (Class IX and X) which is 12,905, he said the SSC has already finished counselling of 6,524 and sent the list to the WBBSE for necessary action.
"The second phase counselling will start by last week of January or beginning of February," he added. The vacancies exclude 10 percent that should be filled up with para teachers as per directions of the court.
The list of headmasters to fill up the existing 2,243 vacancies will be published by Wednesday evening. The counselling dates will be January 22, 24 and 25 and then it will be sent to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education for handing over the offer letters.
At the higher secondary level, the final vacancy is 5,711 of which SSC has already counselled 4,889 candidates. The next phase of counseling for filling up the remaining 822 vacancies will be done soon.
"The filling up 1,034 vacancies in physical education and 1,099 in work education will also be completed by March. 2,057 vacancies for clerks and 3,955 for Group D staff will also be done by March," Sarkar maintained.
He further added that already 19,406 candidates have got jobs through various stages of recruitment process that started from July, 2018. The remaining 22,678 vacancies will be filled up by March.
Sarkar mentioned that there has been a misconception among some people regarding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's plans to have graduates as interns for teaching in colleges where there is a dearth of teachers. "It has nothing to do with the process of recruitment of the SSC which will continue to be in the same fashion," he maintained.