WB HS Council Denies Teacher Exemption for Script Evaluation

The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE) has directed heads of government and aided schools not to exempt teachers from Higher Secondary (HS) answer script evaluation duties this year. The decision comes amid a significant shortage of teachers at secondary and higher secondary levels in the state. According to the council, all available teachers must participate in the evaluation process to ensure that the HS exam results are prepared and published on time.

Reason Behind WBCHSE Decision on Script Evaluation

The board stated that the number of teachers available in the state is much lower compared to the number of students appearing for the examinations. Because of this imbalance, the council said it cannot allow exemptions for teachers assigned to evaluate answer scripts. Officials highlighted that the situation has become more challenging as a large number of answer scripts need to be checked within a limited time frame.

Number of Students Appearing for HS Exams 2026

The evaluation process this year is particularly extensive due to the large number of candidates appearing for the examination. Key figures related to the examination include:

• Total students appearing: Around 7.5 lakh
• Exam session: February 2026
• Exam completion date: 27 February 2026

The large student base means that thousands of answer scripts must be evaluated quickly to maintain the board’s result schedule.

Instructions Issued to School Heads

The council has sent an official communication to heads of institutions outlining the new instructions. The letter states that:

• Teachers should not be granted exemption from evaluation duties in most cases.
• Requests for exemption will generally not be approved by the council.
• All available teachers should be engaged in the answer script assessment process.

Officials indicated that allowing exemptions could delay the evaluation process and affect the timely publication of results.

Measures Taken to Manage Staff Shortage

The teacher shortage has already affected various aspects of the examination process. Earlier during the HS exams, the authorities had to engage primary school teachers as invigilators to manage exam centre duties due to the lack of higher secondary-level teachers . Meanwhile, efforts are underway to recruit more teachers, with plans to fill over 12,000 posts at the Class 12 level in the coming months to address the shortage