West Bengal Primary Teachers Boycott Teachers’ Day 2026 Events, Stage Protest in Kolkata
Teachers' Day 2026: The Bongiyo Prathamik Shikshak Samiti boycotted official Teachers' Day 2026 events and held a Kolkata sit-in protest against West Bengal’s primary education crisis. Protesters criticized unconsulted policy decisions, closure of 568 primary schools, over 6,700 single-teacher schools, non-teaching duties, pending DA dues, and forced retirement threats under TET rules.
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Teachers' Day 2026: Bongiyo Prathamik Shikshak Samiti, an organisation of primary school teachers from West Bengal, had asked teachers in West Bengal to boycott all the official Teachers' Day 2026 celebrations organised by the West Bengal government and held a protest in the form of a sit-in in Kolkata. The teachers seemed to be dissatisfied with the state government over certain matters and alleged that important decisions regarding policies relating to education were being taken without the consultation of the educators, taking into account the existing crisis in primary education.
Referencing official statistics, the organisation mentioned that 568 primary schools had been closed down across the state owing to the failure of the government in providing proper infrastructural facilities for them and thereby losing faith of parents in public schooling. While protesting against the closure of primary schools, the primary school teachers pointed out understaffing, having to take up non-teaching responsibilities, arrears in Dearness Allowance (DA), and the threat of forced retirements.
Overview of the Teachers' Day Boycott & Protest
Below are the key highlights of the Teachers' Day Boycott & Protest:
| Parameter | Details |
| Organising Body | Bongiyo Prathamik Shikshak Samiti |
| Action Taken | Boycott of official state Teachers' Day programs & Kolkata sit-in protest |
| Date | September 5, 2026 (Teachers' Day) |
| Primary Issues | Policy changes formulated without consulting teachers, school closures, non-teaching duties, TET mandates, and pending Dearness Allowance (DA) dues. |
Important concerns raised by the protesting teachers
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School Closures and Mergers: Referring to central reports, the organization pointed out the closure of 568 primary schools in West Bengal. They objected to the merging of low enrolment schools by the government without solving any basic operational issues.
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Single-Teacher Schools: More than 6,700 primary schools in West Bengal run with just one teacher and suffer from heavy shortages of teaching staff and administration staff.
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Unreasonable Administrative Tasks: Teachers are always burdened with administrative duties throughout the year, including elections and census, which leaves teaching their second priority.
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Disparity in Dearness Allowance (DA): The teachers criticized the state government for not paying DA according to central rules and not providing back-payments to primary school teachers.
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Policy of TET: It was mentioned that the teachers were concerned about the issue that they would be removed or retired due to non-clearance of TET requirement if appointed prior to 2011.
Siddhi Sharma is an education journalist at Jagran Josh. A Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from IP University, she brings sharp newsroom instincts developed during her previous stint at Zee News. At Jagran Josh, Siddhi specializes in decoding the educational updates. Her coverage is highly exam-centric, ranging from curated news blogs for competitive exams to crucial school board and university news. Combining her strong media foundations with a research-driven approach, she creates reliable, high-utility content that helps students and aspirants stay ahead of the curve. Her writing is factual, engaging, and tailored to meet the fast-paced needs of modern learners and exam aspirants.
