Ludhiana: Staff data sought, teachers fear further SIR deployments

Schools have been directed to submit details of the principal, employees who have not been assigned SIR or BLO duties, and those already performing the duties

Government school heads have been asked to furnish details of staff members currently performing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and booth-level officer (BLO) duties, as well as those who have not been deputed for the exercise, raising concerns among teachers that more staff could be pulled out of classrooms.

Move to leave more classrooms without teachers, says union. (HT FILE)

Schools have been directed to submit details of the principal, employees who have not been assigned SIR or BLO duties, and those already performing the duties. While the education department said the information had been sought by the administrative department, officials were not clear about its exact purpose.

Teachers fear the exercise could further worsen the shortage of teaching staff in government schools, many of which are already functioning with limited manpower.

Sukhdhir Singh Sekhon, head teacher of Government Primary School, Moti Nagar, said only three teachers were currently available in the school against 17 sanctioned posts and 10 posts are lying vacant.

Of the seven teachers, three are on SIR duty and one is on maternity leave. “We do not know the exact purpose for which these details have been sought,” he said.

Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers’ Union, said his primary school currently had only three teachers, with one already assigned BLO duty. “If the data has been sought to deploy more teachers for SIR work, government schools will find it extremely difficult to function. Schools are already grappling with staff shortages,” he said.

Charanjeet Kaur Ahuja, principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, said the school was running in shifts and the second shift had almost no teachers because most staff members had already been deployed for SIR work.

Deputy district education officer (secondary) Amandeep Singh said the data had been sought by the administrative department. “We are not sure about the exact purpose, but teachers may be required for some duty,” he said.

With SIR work extended till October 12, teachers said several classrooms were already being managed by combining sections or classes, affecting regular teaching. They fear any further deployment could put additional pressure on the remaining staff and students.