Tripura complaint triggers surprise inspection of West Bengal B.Ed colleges

A team constituted by the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University (BSAEU) has begun surprise inspections of private B.Ed colleges in West Bengal following concerns raised by the Tripura government over the quality of teacher education and its impact on school education.

The inspections started on Friday after the university received a communication routed through the West Bengal government regarding a letter sent by the Tripura chief secretary to his West Bengal counterpart, alleging that the academic standards of some B.Ed graduates from colleges in the state were poor.

The inspection team, comprising teachers from government B.Ed colleges, is examining the quality of teaching, availability of basic infrastructure and compliance with academic norms in private institutions, university officials said.

BSAEU Vice-Chancellor Arunabhas Goswami said the allegations warranted an inquiry.

"If B.Ed students are affecting the quality of school education in another state, the allegations should be investigated. The inspections are being carried out in accordance with the government's decision and an action taken report will be submitted," he said.

The vice-chancellor cited instances of alleged irregularities during the inspection process.

He said a college in Purulia had remained closed for nearly six months, and during inquiries it emerged that students had allegedly been told classes were being conducted online. The university subsequently issued a notification clarifying that no online B.Ed course is recognised in the state.

In another case, Goswami said a college in south Bengal, which had failed to attract students despite multiple admission rounds, admitted 80 students in one phase. The students were from Odisha and had allegedly been informed that classes would be held online.

The university said its inquiry found that the admissions were facilitated by a person from Balasore holding a PhD degree. Based on the findings, several temporary university employees were removed over allegations of acting as middlemen and involvement in irregularities.

Some colleges, however, claimed that institutions permitted to run B.Ed and D.El.Ed courses under the composite unit system during the previous state government should be inspected first.

They also alleged that the absence of a permanent registrar had affected employment prospects of students from states such as Tripura and Assam.

Rejecting the allegation, the vice-chancellor said the university and its affiliated colleges had continued to function under an acting registrar and described the colleges' claims as an attempt to justify the issues raised.