Teachers' Scam: Non-Existent Private Colleges Conferring Degrees Under Scanner

A number of primary teachers are currently employed in different state-run schools, whose process of recruitment are under question.

Initial investigations conducted by central agencies, particularly the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have revealed that a significant number of primary school teachers, who were recruited through questionable processes in various state-run schools, received their B.Ed or D.El.Ed certificates from these mushrooming private institutions in the state.

Sources have reported that investigations have uncovered that a significant number of private institutes, despite being registered, are practically non-existent, lacking proper institute buildings, necessary infrastructure, and faculty required to impart training on teaching skills.

"However, many of these private institutes are charging hefty amounts as course fees which are much higher than what are charged by state-run B.Ed and D.El.Ed colleges. Despite the essentials required for proper teachers' training, these institutes attracted enrolment by a substantial number of candidates every year and many of them at a later stage secured primary teachers' job by virtue of the degree or diploma certificates conferred by these institutes," an ED source said.

Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested Tapas Mondal, president of the All Bengal Teachers' Training Achievers' Association (ABTTAA), an umbrella organisation of such private teachers' training institutes.

Mondal, a close confidant of Trinamool Congress legislator and former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Manik Bhattacharya, had also been questioned by ED in this connection a number of times.

Now the question comes how these private institutes managed to secure the registration despite not having proper building or infrastructure or faculty, when the standard operating procedure is that registration is allowed only after proper investigation by the competent authorities under the state education department.

"Without a money-game involving hefty amounts this would not have been possible. The teachers' scam in the state had been like a labyrinth, where one angle of the scam is leading to a number of other angles," the ED source added.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

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