Education bills tabled to ease teachers’ transfers

Kolkata: State education minister Partha Chatterjee tabled three education Bills in the state Assembly Friday.

He said teachers cannot teach and at the same time continue with party-related work as they had done during the Left Front regime in Bengal.

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the West Bengal Schools (Control of Expenditure) Amendment Bill, 2017, and the West Bengal School Service Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2017, will allow transfer of teachers on special grounds, apart from mutual transfer.

The WBBSE (Amendment) Bill will empower the board instead of the managing committee to appoint and take disciplinary action against teachers and non-teaching staff.

The board has been empowered to appoint and transfer them on the basis of recommendation of the West Bengal School Service Commission.

“It can transfer teachers and non-teaching staff to rationalise teacher-student ratio for ensuring better quality education,” Mr Chatterjee said.

In another development, Mr Chatterjee, who is also the parliamentary affairs minister, told reporters that the state Cabinet decided to grant permission to industries operating without valid permission.

He said the government will regularise plots on which these factories are operating. “This will enhance the scope for employment,” he said.

The Cabinet meeting, held at the state Assembly, also decided that Kolkata Leather Complex police station in South 24 Parganas will be brought under the jurisdiction of Kolkata police.