To curb sexual harassment of girls in government schools, men teachers have been shifted to boys' school and women teachers to girls' schools in the district. As many as 66 teachers of the district have been shifted. They have expressed their resentment against the government's move.
The teachers have to report at the government schools where they have been shifted from April 1, 2014.
Out of 66 teachers, 13 teachers are from Government Senior Secondary (GSSS) boys,Jawahar Nagar, eight from GSSS girls, Sidhwan Bet, eight from GSSS girls, Sahnewal, eight from GSSS girls, Samrala, six from GSSS girls, Bharat Nagar, five from GSSS girls, Chanandevi, four from GSSS girls, Jagroan, four from GSSS girls, Savdi Kala, four from GSSS boys, Multipurpose, two from GSSS girls, Macchiwara, one from GSSS girls, Division no 3, one from GSSS boys, Madhopuri, one from GSSS girls, Lakkar Bazaar, one from GSSS girls, Kamran Road.
The latest directions on shifting 66 teachers have been given by the director, public instructions (secondary) Kamal Kumar. A total of 811 teachers have been shifted from 21 districts of Punjab.
One of government school teacher on the condition of anonymity said, "Government schools must have both men and women teachers for proper growth of the students. Moreover, government schools should be co-educational as whenever a student will go for further studies than he or she faces problem. Moreover, if a teacher is found harassing students than he should be shifted to other schools but shifting men teachers to boy's school and women teachers to girl's school is not a solution to this problem."
{{/usCountry}}One of government school teacher on the condition of anonymity said, "Government schools must have both men and women teachers for proper growth of the students. Moreover, government schools should be co-educational as whenever a student will go for further studies than he or she faces problem. Moreover, if a teacher is found harassing students than he should be shifted to other schools but shifting men teachers to boy's school and women teachers to girl's school is not a solution to this problem."
{{/usCountry}}Another government school teacher who wished not to be named said, "With this move, the government is going to limit the child's development. There are so many things which men teachers can handle in a better way so the government should revert to the earlier status."
Talking to Hindustan Times on , Sikander Singh Maluka, Punjab education minister, said, "To curb sexual harassment, we have taken the step to remove all men teachers from girls' school.
So the shifting is being done in all districts of Punjab. According to the data send by the district education officers from their districts we have shifted the men teachers to boys' schools and women teachers to girls' school. The teachers have to report at their new postings from April 1, 2014, as annual exams are going to start from March so we don't want to disturb the school environment."
Why the government has taken this step?
Several cases of men teachers harassing their students have been reported from two districts of Ludhiana and Bathinda. A Jagraon-based man teacher was accused of troubling a girl student. An inquiry was conducted following which the teacher was shifted. However, another case was reported from Bathinda and there also the teacher was shifted.