Belying the tall claims of the J&K government to provide adequate teaching staff in government schools uniformly, the authorities in school education department have deployed hundreds of teachers and masters in city schools and towns on ‘deployment’ at the cost of needy areas.
The adjustment of teachers on ‘deployment’ has been done at the expense of students enrolled in rural schools, officials said.
They said the teachers and masters are sent on deployment to city and towns despite the explicit directions from the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and education minister Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari to do away with the ‘system of deployment’ and provide adequate teaching staff in schools as per the requirement.
“The irony is that deployment is not done on need basis but authorities at the helm of affairs do this to favour their dear ones,” a top official said, adding that deployment of teaching staff is a nexus between bureaucrats, ministers and other politicians.
In government schools located in Srinagar and plain areas of Budgam district, department has posted surplus staff while as educational institutions in Kupwara are facing dearth of required teachers and masters, telling upon the academic in schools.
Director school education Kashmir (DSEK) G N Itoo said they have around 300 posts of masters vacant in Kupwara while as over 60 posts are vacant in Gurez and same is the case in Leh and Kargil.
“These revelation came to fore in a video conference convened by secretary school education Kashmir on Friday. CEO Kupwara has been asked to give details of these posts which are lying vacant,” Itoo said.
When asked about the reason for deployment of teachers in Srinagar and its adjoining areas, Itoo said the teachers are adjusted on basis of marriage, health and security issues.
“We had 50 surplus teaching staff in Srinagar district who had come from other districts. Few days ago we arranged few posts and adjusted them here. Those who were relieved from Srinagar have been adjusted in schools of adjacent districts,” Itoo said.
He said over a dozen teachers were still surplus in Srinagar for whom department is trying to identify some posts to adjust them. “But we are trying to identify posts for them in schools,” he said.
Itoo said same is the case with DIETs and SIE wherein masters and lecturers are enjoying prolonged stint. “But within a week’s time we will relieve whole staff who are in these institutes for a longer period and send new faces there,” he said.
Besides Srinagar, around ten schools located in plain areas of Budgam have over two dozen surplus teaching staff, who have been sent from Kupwara and far areas of other districts like Kulgam.
“These influential teachers manage their adjustment in schools adjacent to their houses and don’t teach students in far off schools,” an official in CEO office Budgam said, wishing not to be named.
Pertinently, teachers posted in Srinagar are given 30 percent city allowance by the department. “And the benefit is reaped by these influential teachers adjusted in city schools as surplus staff,” the official said.
It may be recalled that the education minister in the recently concluded Budget session had announced that all the teachers seeking posting on security concerns will be approved “only after verification from CID department.”
DSEK G N Itoo said the teachers seeking transfers on health and security basis from now onwards will be asked to get their applications certified by medicinal board and additional director general (ADG) CID.
“As of now transfers were done on basis of rules applied till 2017 but now onwards we won’t entertain any application seeking transfer on security grounds unless it is certified by CID.”
Education minister Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari admitted that teachers in large numbers have been sent on deployment to city areas and training institutes.
“We have not succeeded to control it but we will resolve this issue,” he said.