Rural Schools suffer badly in Bandipora as rationalization process falls flat

Suhail Rather

Bandipora, June 28: The decision of District administration Bandipora to rationalize the teaching staff in Bandipora schools has fallen flat as the Department of Education has used the rationalization process to transfer their blue-eyed persons again at their favorite places of postings while the students enrolled in school of far-flung areas continue suffer with teachers refusing to go to these schools.

          With an aim to improve the student-teacher ratio in  schools of  remote areas, the district administration ordered rationalization of teaching staff   by deputing the surplus staff some schools to the school having dearth of teachers.

          However soon after the direction by Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, the officers and officials of   Education Department are cashing the opportunity by deputing their blue-eyed teachers at their favorite places of postings.

          Official sources said that the department issued the first list of rationalized staff earlier this month. However soon after the orders were modified for certain blue-eyed teachers and the transfers were also carried out under garb of rationalization. They said  teachers were shifted to already over-staffed schools while the schools in far flung areas with high roll of students, continue to suffer for lack of teachers.

          At Quil zone, Government Middle School Tarkpora had a surplus staff with 10 teachers for only 47 students having four surplus teachers. On June 15, ZEO Quil deputed one teacher of this school to nearby needy school. However, only four days later the Chief Education Officer Bandipora instead of sending teacher to a needy school also sent a blue-eyed teacher to the GMS Turkpora thus killing the basic aim of rationalization.

On the other side Boys Middle School Khayar Ganai Mohallah has only three teachers for eight classes while the nearby BMS Sheikhpal has six teachers only for eight classes. BPS Parray Mohallah Turkpora has only one teacher for  thirty students.

At BMS Tangath, there are six teachers for 200 students mostly from Gujjar community and surprisingly no teacher was transferred to this school during rationalization.

Similarly GMS Aragam and Gujjarpati Aragam there are 11 teachers while at BMS Brar there are five teachers’ only three classes of 6th, 7th and 8th and no one was shifted from these schools during rationalization. Locals said these schools are easily assessable and hence the teachers prefer to stay in these schools.

The GMS Chettabandi Payeen has only seven teachers for 191 students of eight classes while the High School Chanpal has only nine teachers for 269 students of 10 classes. At MS Chettbandi Bala, there are only six teachers for 181 students of eight classes. MS Challiwan has only five teachers for eight classes.

Several teachers stated that the schools in Bandipora town have become a dumping yard for the blue-eyed teachers. They said there is surplus staff in all town schools including Middle and High Schools and the teachers continue to enjoy the posting from many years. “Noone touches these teachers but a list of poor teachers is made in connivance with the Teachers’ Forum who are later transferred from one hard posting in upper belts of Bandipora to other while other teachers enjoy posting at their doorsteps,” said a teacher who wished not to be named.

Sources said that the department has converted the rationalization process into a transfer process and is again piling up the staff in already surplus staffed schools. They said the schools of remote areas continue to suffer while the department officials are misleading the Deputy Commissioner regarding the same.

          Official sources said the department also took action against certain teachers who refused to comply with orders but a number of teachers continue to stay in their previous places of postings with impunity while defying the rationalization orders and the CEO’s office is shielding these teachers.

Locals alleged that the process of so called rationalization is only to make money as a list of transferred is   prepared and then officials in ZEO and CEO office mint money from the teachers to modify the orders. They said after the first and second phase of rationalization, the modification of orders have started again  raising doubts among the people about the intentions of the rationalization process.

Chief Education Office Bandipora modified its own previous order under which one Teacher Abdul Hamid Bhat of BHSS was posted to remote BHS Ketsan but was revoked due to reasons unknown. Similarly Mohammad Shaban Haji of Boys Higher Secondary School Kaloosa Bandipora was deputed to BMS Ahanghar Mohalla Kaloosa while Meboob-u-Nisa of Boys Higher Secondary School Kaloosa Bandipora was deputed to MS Nathpora but the orders were revoked immediately.

Another teacher posted under rationalization to Boys Higher Secondary School Kaloosa was directed to return back to original place of posting at GHS Kalossa

Similarly several other orders of teachers have been revoked days after issuing the deputation orders thus failing the basic purpose of the rationalization. “The CEO transfers the teachers and then misleads DC Bandipora by asking him that rationalization has been done but later the orders are revoked secretly,” said another teacher from Bandipora.

Teachers allege that the newly appointed teachers were supposed to be posted in far flung areas but throwing norms to winds, the CEO Bandipora posted them in nearby schools this raising doubts about the intentions of the department. “We are forced to believe that a business is going on in the name of transfers in the district in which teachers pay sums to get their transfers revoked later.

 

“Middle Schools of the town Bandipora have fourteen to sixteen teachers for only 50 to 70 children and the teachers posted their are enjoying at one place from many years while only few select teachers are continuously rotated in far flung schools,” teachers allege.