Govt fails to act as teachers man non-teaching jobs in offices

The school education department seems to be have got stuck in the detachment of teachers from offices who are manning non-teaching jobs in various offices of the education department.

The teachers are either working as data entry operators ordoing other clerical jobs at zonal education offices or in the offices of chiefeducation officers.

   

Greater Kashmir has carried a series of story on unnecessaryattachment of teachers in offices for years together due to which the schoolface dearth of teaching staff which tells upon the academic performance of thestudents.

Recently, the advisor to Governor, Farooq Ahmad Khan whilechairing a review meeting of school education department sought details of theteachers deputed in offices.

In wake of this, the director school education Kashmir(DSEK) issued a circular to the chief education officers (CEOs) directing themto relieve all the teaching staff from their offices and zonal educationoffices as well.

However, this is not the first time when a circular has beenissued for detachment of teachers from offices but such circulars were issuedin past as well but witnessed poor implementation on ground.

Only last year, the then DSEK issued four circular directingCEOs and ZEOs to relieve the teaching staff from offices. However, the CEOsdidn’t implement the orders under the pretext of one or the other reason.

Given the present situation in the department, some teachersare working in offices from past more than seven to eight years and have nevertaught a single student in school which is their actual place of posting. Theseteachers manage to stay away from school with the support from higher ups inthe department.

“The CEOs give an excuse that these teachers are computerknowing and their removal from offices will affect the work culture. The excuseprompted authorities to be lenient in getting the orders implemented,” anofficial in civil secretariat said.

However, all these teachers who are posted in offices foryears together are close either relatives of bureaucrats or have patronage ofhigher level officials.

“These teachers prefer to be in offices than teachingstudents in schools. These teachers in offices develop bossy nature whilehandling office works and later become adamant against joining back theirschools,” the official said.

Another reason for deployment of teachers in offices is thatthe successive regimes have failed to re-organise the non-teaching andministerial staff in the department since 1989.

A senior official in civil secretariat, who is privy to thedevelopment, said almost all the non-teaching posts were vacant in CEO and ZEOsoffices which has now led to crises in the department.

“This is the reason we are left with no option than tocontinue with the practice of deputing teachers in offices. It is also truethat some teachers preferably manage to get deputed to offices then teaching inschools,” the official said.

The official said the department should fill the vacantposts in CEO and ZEO offices which will avoid deputation of teachers fromschools.

“If the offices get adequate non-teaching staff then theteachers will continue to work in schools and focus on academics of student,”the official said.

Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Muhammad YounisMalik said all the CEOs have relieved the teaching staff from their offices.

“The detachment of teachers has been certified from CEOs aswell. We have government directions so relieve teachers from offices so theorders have to be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.

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