Education deptt unhappy over engaging teachers for census

SYED AMJAD SHAH

Jammu, May 16: Many senior functionaries in the education department have been terming the decision of the government to engage teachers in carrying out Census Operation as unwelcoming move for the reasons that it shall severely affect the studies in the schools and create problems for the teachers, especially female teachers who are already over burdened by their unique domestic problems.

“We are in great dilemma as every day deputations of teachers come with genuine problems expressing their inability in taking on the census work”, a senior official in the educations department told Greater Kashmir on the conditions of anonymity.

“These include pregnant female teachers; handicapped and teachers suffering from various ailments, the problems that can not be overlooked as a human being”, he added. He said in many cases all the teachers of the school have been put on the job of carrying census operation forcing them to lock the school. He said in such a situation the studies of the students were bound to suffer.

“There are over five lakh registered unemployed post graduates and other professionals eager to get some work,” said a teacher appointed census operation adding that instead of engaging teachers government should have given them a chance , ,”

Terming the policy of engaging teachers for the census duty as unwarranted, the officials suggested that huge force of unemployed youth registered with the employment exchanges would have proved handy for taking up this important task. since they (teachers) are not much interested due to their personal reasons and the loss students would suffer on their engagement with the census despite the fact that they are being paid handsomely , the amount being paid would have attracted many unemployed youth to take on the responsibility.

Soon after the announcement of survey, the zonal education offices are flooded with requests from teachers for dropping their names each giving his/ her own problem”, sources said adding that “We are being approached by pregnant female teachers; handicapped and ailing teachers whose names have figured in the list of those teachers assigned the task to conduct survey, an official in the education department claimed and added that

“How it could be possible for a pregnant female teacher to go from door-to-door for survey after school hours. Is it not injustice with them? It is shameful for us to over burden such teachers while claiming that they are being given a handsome amount,” regrets the authorities

The official said that the unemployed should be given a chance to earn by participating in surveys and they (unemployed) can give proper time to the survey. “We have received complaint from the parents as students are also facing problem in studies since teachers are unable to give much time in the classes,” the official alleged.

“The teachers who have been engaged in survey are being given handsome amount, earned leave and three days additional leave of the period they took three days training of conducting survey,” Director School Education Jammu Zahida Khan told Greater Kashmir.

The director said that: “It is a policy matter and it is up to the government to decide whether to handover the duty of conducting survey to unemployed or not.”