Bandipora, Apr 26: Scores of teachers in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district Saturday alleged that their attendance was shifted to other schools without informing them and without any written order in contravention to orders from Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK)
The teachers allege that they were left confused following their arrival at their original place of postings in the morning on Saturday as their attendances were shifted.
Sources informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that when the respective teachers contacted their concerned officials, they were informed that their attendance had been shifted to different schools ‘without prior intimation’. “We were shocked to see that our attendance was showing invalid. On contacting authorities, we were told that our attendance has been shifted elsewhere,” said one of the teachers.
Last week Director School Education Kashmir asked CEOs not to transfer teachers of their own and put ban on rationalization by CEOs. However, the order has not been respected by the CEOs.
Adding to the confusion, several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were also shifted to other schools despite clear guidelines from the Election Commission of India (ECI) that teachers assigned with BLO duties should not be transferred. Teachers alleged that the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Quil Muqam violated these rules, worsening the confusion and creating administrative chaos in the zone.
Teachers across the district in several schools termed the move as mismanagement of the concerned authorities.
They expressed concerns and said that the department has failed to utilize the human resources with regard to the rationalization process. “Initially the concerned authorities issued a rationalization list without proper homework and consultation and now they are suddenly shifting us to other schools without any proper communication,” another teacher said.
The teachers further alleged that the rationalization exercise was very selective and was affecting the already affected schools from acute teacher shortages. ” Dozens of schools are having dearth of teaching staff and in the recent rationalization process, the authorities have chosen a selective approach,” said a senior teacher.
In the meantime, educational stakeholders, including some school heads have also voiced concern over the chaotic implementation of policies, saying such steps are impacting the academic environment and causing unnecessary anxiety among both teachers and students.
Teachers have appealed to the higher authorities to intervene to streamline the rationalization process and ensure transparency so that the educational activities in the district are not hampered further.
Teachers also alleged misconduct in the rationalization process and appealed Anti corruption Bureau to take suo motto cognisance of such cases as it is suspected that officers/ officials in CEO office are bribed by blue eyed teachers to get favorable places of postings.
District education authorities were unavailable to comment on the issue—(with inputs from KNO)