No decision on hiring civic volunteers for teaching yet, West Bengal Edu Min clarifies

Since the Superintendent of Police of West Bengal's Bankura district launched the Ankur project, in which civic volunteers would be hired to take special classes in primary schools, the move has invited widespread outrage. On March 16, state Education Minister Bratya Basu said that no decision has been taken on the hiring process yet, due to the controversy.

"No such decision has been taken. We don't sanction such a move. We have asked for a report from Bankura police and district administration about what prompted them to take it," Basu said, as mentioned in a report by PTI.

"If they took the initiative at the local level, the consent from the Education Department is important. The academic council of the West Bengal Primary Education Department should also be taken into consideration before any such decision," he added.

Civic volunteers are recruited by the police to assist in traffic control and monitoring rallies of political parties. In this light, the Ankur project was announced. Under it, 124 civic volunteers are slated to be hired for 46 primary schools in different police station areas of Bankura.

However, the initiative has been condemned by many, even eminent educationists. In a scathing comment, indologist and writer Nrisingha Prakash Bhaduri said, "I may now apply to the police to give me appointment as a police officer," as per PTI.

Similarly, "The move is ill-conceived. A civic volunteer cannot have the skill of teaching. It will bring disaster to the basic education system of Bengal. Hope the Mamata Banerjee-led Ministry will refrain from such harakiri in the interest of students," said Pabitra Sarkar, renowned academician and writer.