Para Teacher Salary in West Bengal 2025 | Pay Scale, Hike, Allowances & Latest Updates
In West Bengal’s education system, para-teachers are contractual educators primarily recruited to deliver remedial education and address staffing shortfalls, particularly in schools serving marginalized communities. These professionals are crucial assets for both primary and upper primary schools, complementing formal teaching efforts and helping to alleviate teacher shortages across the state.
The Significance of Para‐Teachers Bridging Teacher Shortage
Para-teachers play a crucial role in maintaining continuity in classrooms and managing increased student loads, especially following the mass dismissal of teachers in various districts and provinces in 2023. Consequently, the state actively seeks to employ more para-teachers. The Higher Secondary Board has outlined intentions to recruit additional para-teachers to address this deficit.
Supporting the Disadvantaged
Historically, their primary responsibilities have included remedial teaching, child tracking, and the creation of essential Teaching Learning Materials (TLM) to reinforce learning for first-time and disadvantaged students.
Recent Development and Government Focus
Salary Versus Service
Para-teachers currently receive a monthly salary of ₹9,794 (Primary) and ₹12,766 (Upper Primary). Until 2024, there were no routine pay increases. Driven by concerns over stagnant wages and working conditions, para-teachers staged a three-day strike starting July 5, 2025, to advocate for higher remuneration and better working conditions.
Salary Increase
The Chief Minister’s presentation of the 2025-26 budget for the state is anticipated to include a significant upward revision for para-teachers’ salaries, potentially tripling the current range. This proposed change also includes redesignation to “Additional Assistant Teacher,” a change that promises improved career prospects and a path towards regularization.
Retirement Benefits
Starting April 2024, a one-time terminal benefit for para-teachers and other educational staff on a contract basis was increased from ₹2-3 lakh to ₹5 lakh upon retirement.
Para-Teacher Salary Structure – West Bengal
Current Salaries (as of mid-2025)
- Primary Para-Teachers (Classes I–V): ₹10,000 per month
- Upper Primary Para-Teachers (Classes VI–VIII): ₹13,000 per month
These roles are contractual, primarily focusing on remedial teaching, student tracking, and developing learning resources for underserved learners. Despite performing duties akin to regular teachers, their remuneration has remained largely unchanged since the last revision in 2017.
Proposed Salary Revision (In Active Consideration)
- Primary Para – Teachers: Proposed increase to up to ₹35,000/month
- Upper Primary Para – Teachers: Proposed increase up to ₹40,000/month
Such an increase would roughly triple their current earnings, bringing them closer to the pay scale of entry-level assistant teachers.
Proposal for Redesignation: “Additional Assistant Teacher”
The West Bengal government is exploring the redesignation of the para-teacher cadre to “Additional Assistant Teacher,” a move aimed at bypassing legal constraints (RTE norms) associated with para-teacher recruitment. Should this proposal gain approval, it could facilitate the reinstatement of up to 26,000 displaced educators and enhance both job security and professional standing.
Other Proposed Improvements and Employment Changes
In addition to potential salary hikes and redesignation, the state government is evaluating several other enhancements for para-teachers, such as:
- Child Care Leave (CCL): Up to 730 days for female para-teachers
- Permanent service rules and a service book for professional continuity
- Membership in the School Staff Council
- Use as exam invigilator at secondary and higher secondary levels
- Possibility of general and mutual transfers between districts
Summary Table: Current V Proposed Pay Structure
The following summary table illustrates a clear comparison between the existing and proposed pay structures, highlighting the significant changes under consideration.
| Category | Current Salary | Proposed Salary | New Designation (if approved) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Para‑Teacher | ₹10,000/month | Up to ₹35,000/month | Additional Assistant Teacher |
| Upper Primary Para‑Teacher | ₹13,000/month | Up to ₹40,000/month | Additional Assistant Teacher |
Context, Relevance & Impacts
West Bengal currently employs more than 44,000 para-teachers, comprising approximately 20,000 Primary and 24,000 Upper Primary teachers. The last notable salary adjustment occurred in 2017, with a revision from ₹9,794 to ₹10,000. Subsequently, in 2024, the upper primary salary was adjusted to ₹13,000. These increments have historically been limited by the scope of the general budget. These planned protests, including a three-day strike in July 2025, have evidently prompted the government to advance this significant salary reform.
Duties and responsibilities of Para Teacher in West Bengal (2025)
In West Bengal, para-teachers fulfill a vital supportive role in government-established primary and upper primary schools, particularly in rural and underserved regions. They are appointed under educational initiatives such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Samagra Shiksha. Their primary objective is to assist regular teachers in delivering inclusive and high-quality education to students.
Key Responsibilities of Para Teachers
1. Remedial Teaching of First-Generation Learners
- Offering targeted assistance to slow learners, first-generation learners, and students from SC/ST/OBC and minority communities.
- They help close learning gaps in reading, writing, and elementary mathematics.
- Employing activity-based learning, they prioritize individual student needs.
2. Child Tracking and Child Progress Monitoring
- They maintain individual student records, tracking attendance, learning progress, and developmental milestones.
- Furthermore, they communicate and report on learning levels to headmasters and cluster resource coordinators.
- They also aid in identifying out-of-school children and reporting on their enrollment and retention.
3. Development of Teaching Learning Material (TLM)
- Para-teachers develop affordable or free educational materials to enhance engagement and deliver lessons in an interesting and compelling manner.
- They incorporate charts, flashcards, local examples, and visual aids to strengthen classroom instruction.
- They also provide support in multi-grade classrooms, where a single teacher manages several classes simultaneously.
Para Teacher Salary Structure Table (2025)
This table comprehensively outlines the proposed salary structure for para-teachers in 2025, detailing the various pay scales and components under consideration.
| Category | Existing Salary (₹/month) | Proposed Salary (₹/month) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Para Teacher | 10,000 | 35,000 (proposed) |
| Upper Primary Para Teacher | 13,000 | 40,000 (proposed) |
Promotion, Job Security & Service Conditions of Para Teachers in West Bengal (2025)
Para-teachers in West Bengal continue to be contractual employees hired under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme. Despite serving as foundational pillars in grassroots education, their avenues for career advancement and job security have been severely constrained for an extended period, leading to persistent calls for reform.
Employment & Service Conditions
- Contractual Engagement: Para-teachers are engaged through annual contracts, with renewals contingent upon performance, school requirements, and attendance.
- Up to 60 Years of Age: Para-teachers can serve up to the age of 60, or until they finish the academic session where they reach seventy years of age.
- Not Regularized (Yet): Para-teachers are not regular government employees yet, despite ongoing protests and legal efforts aimed at achieving regularization. However, recent proposals within the 2025 Budget include renaming their position from ‘Para Teacher’ to ‘Additional Assistant Teacher,’ a change anticipated to bring enhanced recognition, regularized pay scales, and improved benefits.
Service- Related Developments
This section outlines significant service-related developments, encompassing both proposed changes and updates already in effect, pertinent to the para-teacher framework.
| Service Aspect | Current Status / Proposal |
|---|---|
| Annual Renewal | Based on performance and school requirements |
| Service Book | Under proposal to be maintained for para teachers |
| Child Care Leave (CCL) | Up to 730 days for female para teachers (proposed) |
| Terminal Benefits | ₹5 lakh one-time post-retirement benefit (from 2024) |
| School Staff Council Participation | Proposed inclusion in council meetings and decisions |
| Exam Duties | Proposal to assign exam invigilation duties for board exams |
| Transfer Facility | General/mutual transfer within districts (under discussion) |
Latest News & Updates on Policy- 2025
1. Impact of Court Judgment
Para-teacher unions are referencing a 2023 Supreme Court judgment concerning the regularization of contractual teachers in other states. However, as of this report, the West Bengal government has not yet declared any regularization for its contractual employees.
2. Strikes & Protests
In July 2025, para-teachers undertook a three-day strike, pressing for the following key demands:
- Increased salary (10,000/13,000 to 35,000/40,000)
- Regular service conditions
- New titled designation and pay parity with assistant teachers
These protests attracted considerable media attention and public backing, prompting fresh discussions within the state cabinet.
3. Government Response
Based on discussions surrounding the WB Budget 2025-26, the government is actively contemplating a three-fold salary increase and is seriously considering the renaming of the position to “Additional Assistant Teacher.” The Education Department is currently assessing the financial viability and policy framework required to implement these changes progressively.