Early Times Report
Rajouri, May 10: For the last many years, teachers posted in far-off places of the district are alleged to be skipping their duties.
While they unauthorisedly remain absent from duties, the authorities concerned are not bothered to take action against them. In some areas, teachers come to schools on rotational basis.
Many among such teachers either have political connections or enjoy the blessings of officials of ZEO offices, according to official sources.
Altaf Hussain, Chief Education Officer, Rajouri, has paid surprise visits to many schools in the past few months and sought explanations of the teachers who were found absent.
He had also noticed that in many cases, the arrival/departure registers of schools had not been properly maintained to help the absentee teachers.
"On many occasions, leave applications of teachers were found unmarked just to help them," an education department official said.
Due to the casual approach of teachers towards their duties and their focus on tuitions and running private institutions in the names of their family members and close relatives, the academic standard in government schools had come down considerably in Rajouri district, he added.
The official said in one incident, head teacher Ashyana Koussar of middle school, Saldhar, which falls under Baljarallan education zone, was allegedly found absent from duty for 21 days from April 12 to May 3. In charge teacher Mohammad Alaras had not filled the arrival/departure register to give benefit to the head teacher, he alleged.
Acting on complaints, ZEO, Baljarallan, had carried out a surprise inspection of the school and found the head teacher absent. Vide his order No ZEO/B/951-53 dated May 9, 2016 had directed the absentee to explain her position and also directed the in charge teacher to explain why he had not intimated his ZEO office about the absence of the head teacher and why the arrival/departure register was not closed.
"Both the teachers have been directed to submit their explanations within two days positively, otherwise it will be assumed that they have nothing to say in their defence and further action will be taken against them as per rules of the department," said ZEO. |
