The Calcutta High Court refused to stay the recruitment process for the appointment of primary teachers in various schools across the state on Friday. If anyone is appointed during the litigation period, the case will be decided according to the verdict of the court, it stated.

The state government had initiated the recruitment process to appoint primary teachers on August 6. Last week, the West Bengal Primary Teachers Training Students Union had filed a petition in the High Court challenging the process.

Earlier, a candidate who had graduated Higher Secondary (HS) examination with 50 per cent marks and also had a teachers’ training certificate was eligible for the post of a primary teacher. According to an amendment by the state government in June, only Madhyamik pass-outs could also apply for the job.

According to the petitioner’s counsel, the Centre has already proposed a bridge course to regularise the certificates of those PTTI students whose degrees had become invalid after the High Court order in 2008.

The petitioner sought a stay order on the recruitment process but it was rejected by the court. It directed the state government to file an affidavit. The case will come up for hearing next on December 12.