Bengal’s new education rules: Accountability or punishment?

• Bengal’s proposed reforms bar newly appointed teachers from active politics, raising concerns over their democratic rights.

• Performance-linked increments risk holding teachers responsible for factors beyond their control.

• Teachers’ associations demand adequate staffing, learning resources and professional support before accountability measures.

West Bengal’s proposed education reforms have raised serious questions about teachers’ professional freedom and the government’s understanding of educational accountability. Under two major announcements, newly appointed teachers will be barred from active politics, while primary school teachers may be held responsible for an entire class, with annual increments and promotions potentially linked to students’ learning progress.

While the government claims the measures will restore the 'lost glory' of education in Bengal, critics argue that they risk punishing teachers for problems beyond their control.

Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, "All the teachers who get jobs in our era will not be able to join any kind of politics. This is to bring back the lost glory of the education system in Bengal."

However, barring newly appointed teachers from active politics raises a fundamental question: can education truly be freed from politics by restricting the democratic rights of those working within the system?

The government argues that teachers must focus on teaching rather than political activities. BJP leader Ophelia Sinha said, "We have seen how teachers got involved in political meetings and movements in the previous 49 years. The quality of education has been in a miserable state. So, it is important to make such rules that prevent teachers from entering politics."

An excellent argument, except that most government teachers are expected to go off on election or other duties whenever required, though their classes apparently do not suffer at such times.

The argument risks confusing political involvement with educational failure. Teachers have the right to express their views, form associations and raise concerns about their working conditions. Political participation does not automatically make someone a poor teacher, just as political neutrality does not guarantee professional excellence.

Mamata-AITC leader Baiswanor Chatterjee challenged the government’s position. "How did Suvendu Adhikari put BJP leaders in charge of all educational institutions? Instead of saying all these things now, he should answer this first."

Left leader Saikat Giri offered a sharper criticism. "People who have taken money to recruit teachers can sit in the top positions of educational institutions. We have seen people taking money on television who are sitting in top positions, but teachers who are educated and the backbone of the society are being barred from politics," he said. "Like the Goonda Act, this Act will also not stand."

The second announcement is equally troubling. School education minister Dipak Barman has proposed a system under which one teacher will teach an entire primary class, with responsibility for students’ progress shared across the school. Teachers whose pupils fail to make sufficient progress could be questioned over their eligibility for a salary increment.

"Suppose there are 20 children in a class; the outcome of their learning by the end of the year rests entirely with me, Dipak Barman. This is the kind of accountability we want to establish," the minister explained. "We will ask the teacher: why should you receive a salary increment next year?"

Accountability is necessary, but linking pay increases to student outcomes risks creating an unfair system. Children do not begin school with equal advantages. Many are first-generation learners who need additional support at home and school. Poverty, attendance, inadequate facilities and learning difficulties can affect progress, regardless of a teacher’s commitment.

Penalising teachers for every disappointing result would be neither fair nor effective.

Dhrubashekhar Mondal, general-secretary of the Nikhil Banga Primary Teachers’ Association, warned that "entrusting a single teacher with multiple grades would hinder overall progress". He also stressed that teachers cannot be held solely responsible for children’s development and called for improvements to the curriculum and supplementary learning materials.

Chandan Gorai of the All Post-Graduate Teachers’ Welfare Association said the proposal was positive in principle, but the government must first "ensure the appointment of six teachers in every primary school".

Kinkar Adhikari of Shikshanuragi Oikya Mancha similarly demanded grade-specific teachers and adequate Group C and D staff.

The government claims that recruiting at least 13,000 additional primary teachers will improve the teacher-pupil ratio from one teacher for every 26 pupils to one for every 20.

Yet better staffing, suitable classrooms, learning resources and professional support must come before punitive performance targets.