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Ludhiana: Govt school teachers in dist make a beeline for summer trips, 500 apply for ex-India leave
Neither the scenic hill stations nor other relatively inexpensive holiday destinations in the country seem to impress the government school teachers as the trend among the staffers seeking ex-India leaves to visit abroad, especially Canada, continues to be on the rise
Neither the scenic hill stations nor other relatively inexpensive holiday destinations in the country seem to impress the government school teachers as the trend among the staffers seeking ex-India leaves to visit abroad, especially Canada, continues to be on the rise.
According to the data given by the district education department, around 500 applications for ex-India leave during summer vacations were received from teachers in Ludhiana. Out of these, a total of 121 applications have got approval from the state education department.
Harjit Singh, district education officer (secondary) said, “It is compulsory for the government staffers to seek approval from the department before leaving their station.”
He said that the ex-India leaves are only issued during the summer vacations in normal cases.
As the international travel restrictions which were imposed due to Covid have eased globally, the number of applicants has risen from the previous years, he said.
Education department staffers include master cadre teachers, lecturers, principals, and other officials in clerical posts.
According to the district education department officials, the applications started pouring in from the month of January and will continue till the end of May.
Most of the staffers in their applications mention that they want to visit their children and other family members abroad to spend time with them. Out of the 121 total applications which have been approved, around 100 applications are for Canada, an official in the department requesting anonymity said.
He said that the process has been completely centralised for the last four years and the files are prepared at the district level after which they are forwarded to the state education department, which is the final authority.
At times, the applications face rejections due to discrepancies and lack of required documents and the applicants reapply for leave with the required documents, the official said.
The duration of the leaves which are sought by the applicants ranges between 30 and 60 days. The applicants also have to sign an undertaking that they will not prolong their stay in the country they are visiting and will join their duty on the date mentioned in the application.
A Principal at one of the government schools in the city, who has also applied for the ex-India leave, said, “Both of my children, a son and a daughter have completed their professional studies and work in Canada. As they are in the initial stage of their career, it will be hard for them to take a break and visit us. So, I along with my wife, who is also a government school teacher, our children to spend the summer break with them.”
He said that due to the holiday season, flight tickets also get 20 to 50% expensive.
Rules made stringent
With the increasing number of government school teachers applying for ex-India leaves, the education department has also, over the years, made the rules for the leaves stringent.
While the teachers seeking leave are required to furnish a complete list of documents, the purpose of the visit, and the period during which they can apply for the leave, have also been fixed.
Noting the toll on regular education at schools with teachers, including school heads on ex-India leave, the education department had issued an order in June 2022 stating that the ex-India leaves will be only approved during the summer and winter vacations.
In its orders in December last year, the director of education department (secondary education) had directed the district education officers and school heads across the state to not approve the leave applications by teaching and non-teaching staff at the government schools for foreign travel and childcare.
A school principal, requesting anonymity, said that the department has also tightened the noose around the teachers who prolong their stay and become permanent residents abroad. Passports of employees are thoroughly checked before issuing them increments or retirement benefits.
He said that the employees are required to provide pictures of each page of their passport and an undertaking from the staffer who will be handling the duties in their presence. He said that the process should be made easy for genuine applicants.
