Darjeeling schools closed amid protests over illegal recruitment, job cancellations

New Delhi: All government and government-aided schools in Darjeeling have been ordered to close indefinitely from Thursday amid a judicial ruling and subsequent protests by teachers’ associations. The situation escalated after the Calcutta High Court presided over by Justice Biswajit Basu ordered the cancellation of jobs for 313 teachers on Wednesday.

The court’s decision followed an investigation into complaints regarding irregularities in teacher recruitment over the past 25 years. In response, the Darjeeling Secondary Teachers’ Association joined in protest arguing that volunteers have been conducting classes for decades without formal recruitment procedures being properly followed.

The court’s directive came after evidence emerged during the investigation of a complaint highlighting alleged illegal recruitment practices. The ruling led directly to the cancellation of hundreds of teaching positions which has prompted widespread unrest among educators and the community.

Following the court order, the Darjeeling Secondary Teachers’ Association announced a protest which included closing schools to highlight the lack of transparency and procedural violations in teacher recruitment. As per the association, volunteers have been managing classes for a long and the sudden dismissal of employees has caused significant concern for both teachers and students.

The indefinite school closures are expected to severely impact students preparing for exams or awaiting results. The disruption has also compounded the ongoing unrest at North Bengal University which has been locked down for four days due to agitations by temporary staff demanding pending allowances. Students seeking certificates or scholarships have been particularly affected and education in the region has come to a near standstill.