JK Teachers Forum Zone Bandipora Slams CEO’s New Directives

Bandipora, April 13: The Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF), Zone Bandipora, has come out strongly against a set of recent directives issued by the newly appointed Chief Education Officer (CEO) Bandipora, terming them “bizarre, contrary to norms, and disruptive to the smooth functioning of schools.”

In a statement issued by the Forum’s Publicity Wing and endorsed by Zonal President Er. Bashir Ahmad Khan, the Forum expressed serious concern over what it described as “unrealistic and suffocating” orders that have caused widespread resentment among teachers, Heads of Institutions (HOIs), and programme custodians at the school level.

According to the statement, Among the key issues raised by the Forum is the directive mandating a common timetable across all schools in the district.

The Forum argued that this directive ignores the ground realities of schools operating with extremely poor Pupil-Teacher Ratios (PTR), especially in remote and upper belt areas. It noted that single-teacher primary schools are often managing up to eight classes, while some middle schools with only four teachers are responsible for handling eleven.

“In such circumstances, the imposition of a uniform timetable is not only impractical but also unworkable and unfair to the teaching staff and students alike,” reads the statement.

Another directive that came under sharp criticism was the order to include chicken in the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) menu. The Forum stated that this move directly violates the norms of the PM Poshan Abhiyan and pointed out that most schools are already struggling with pending liabilities from the last financial year. It warned that such orders, if implemented, would place an additional financial burden on schools that are already under-resourced.

The Forum also termed the CEO’s order to implement a 40-minute lunch break as infeasible, particularly in schools with large student populations and limited infrastructure. It argued that serving meals to hundreds of students within this time frame would pose serious logistical challenges and disrupt the academic rhythm of the day. Furthermore, the Forum expressed strong reservations over the new rule requiring all staff to obtain pre-sanctioned leaves, saying that it conflicts with the established Civil Services Leave Rules and could lead to unnecessary confusion and delay in granting legitimate leave requests.

Calling for a more grounded and consultative approach to administrative reforms, the Forum urged the CEO to review these directives in light of practical challenges faced by schools on a daily basis. It emphasized that such decisions should be taken only after thorough dialogue with educators and field-level officers, ensuring that any reform is well thought-out and responsive to actual needs rather than abstract administrative targets.

The Forum concluded its statement by reiterating its commitment to resist any move that undermines the dignity of teachers or disrupts the learning environment in schools. It pledged to stand firm against what it called “chaotic measures,” asserting that reforms must be informed, inclusive, and focused on strengthening the education system, not destabilizing it.

The statement ended with a poetic couplet as a symbolic note of resistance:
“نہ یہ صبح آخری ہے نہ یہ شآم آخری ہے، جہاں ہو تآنآشآہی کی کثرت، وہ نظام آخری ہے!”
(Neither this morning is the last, nor is this evening final — where tyranny rules, such systems never last.)