Ludhiana: Row over working hours for ‘double-shift’ schools

Principals and non-teaching staff in double-shift schools express concerns over extension of their working hours

The principals and non-teaching staff in double-shift schools have expressed discontent to the government’s directive regarding their working hours from 9 am to 5 pm.

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The directive was issued by the Punjab education department in mid-December, with the aim of enhancing the quality of education and administrative efficiency. Earlier the working hours of the principals were from 7am to 1 pm.

Principals from Ludhiana’s double-shift schools highlighted that the official duty hours for a principal are six hours a day for six days a week. Under the revised guidelines, they will now have to work for eight hours a day, extending their duty hours to 48 hours per week, which surpasses the prescribed duty of 40 hours per week.

Speaking anonymously, a principal stated, “We have worked day and night to increase enrolment in our schools, and now, the government has increased our duty hours instead of appreciating our hard work. This is not only a matter of concern for us, but it will impact enrolment in the long run, as principals contemplating the shift to double-shift schools will now be hesitant to do so.”

Principals argue that the government should either grant them a day off on Saturday, similar to other officers working eight hours a day with 20 earned leaves, unlike the eight earned leaves they currently receive.

“If the government expects us to work eight hours a day like officers in the department, there should be an off on Saturday too. If not, principals and non-teaching staff may seek transfers to single-shift schools, leaving these double-shift schools short-staffed, where it is needed the most,” voiced another principal from a double-shift school in Ludhiana city.

Principals and non-teaching staff assert that there is no logic behind this move, as they address the needs of students and manage overall school responsibilities within their six-hour shift.

“It is not that we have never worked an eight-hour day; we do it without any compulsion whenever necessary. However, we should be given flexible work hours to manage both personal and professional responsibilities effectively.”

In support of the affected principals and non-teaching staff, Sanjiv Kumar, vice-president of the Government School Teacher Union, stated that their association stands with the affected faculty members and their right to time off.