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Linking voter cards to Aadhaar: Amid staff crunch, teachers saddled with non-academic responsibilities
On the orders of the election commission, the Punjab education department has asked schools to depute block-level officers to assist linking of Aadhaar cards to voter cards.
Even as government schools across the district grapple with acute staff shortage, the state education department has saddled teachers with additional non-academic responsibilities, such as scouting constituencies to link Aadhaar cards to voter cards.
On the orders of the election commission, the state education department has asked schools to depute block-level officers to assist linking of Aadhaar cards to voter cards. However, instead of enlisting non-teaching staff for the same, the local education department has deputed teachers for collecting voters’ data from each constituency.
With teachers, including those of major subjects such as mathematics, science and English, busy with this administrative chore, students’ education is bound to suffer.
A government middle school teacher, who did not wish to be named, said, “Three out of four teachers at our school have been deputed non-academic work, and have to stay out of school for the same. The department should have been mindful while assigning duties as this will adversely affect students’ education.”
Teachers’ unions take issue
Teachers’ unions across the district are also objecting to the orders issued by district education officer, Jaswinder Kaur, who has double charge of as both elementary and senior secondary DEO.
Tehal Singh Sarabha, a member of Government School Teachers’ Union, said, “While the DEO has instructed elementary teachers to carry out the work assigned by the election commission in school hours twice a week, senior secondary teachers have been told to remain present on school premises and perform the duties allocated by the election commission after school hours.”
AAP reneging on pre-poll promise: Union member
Calling out the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for reneging on its poll promise, Sarabha said, “Before the elections, AAP candidates had said that if voted to power they will ensure that teachers are not assigned any non-academic tasks, but teachers are frequently being sent for jobs that have nothing to do with teaching, which is affecting the quality of education in schools.”
The union’s district president Parminder Pal Singh Kalia said the teachers, who have not been assigned election duty, are overextended and have to adjust lectures with their colleagues frequently remaining out of school to carry out non-academic duties.
‘Teachers entitled to their own time after duty hours’
“The DEO should treat both primary and secondary level teachers uniformly. Teachers have the right to devote time to their families after teaching hours. Sending teachers on election-related duties after school hours is akin to torturing them, “ he added.
DEO Jaswinder Kaur did not respond to the queries pertaining to separate instructions for elementary teachers and senior secondary teachers.
