Confusion prevails over teacher attendance in schools
Confusion prevails over teacher attendance in schools
Those who can’t understand Government order should resign : DSEK
Srinagar : Miscommunication and confusion continues to prevail in the School Education Department over the physical attendance of teaching staff in the school.
The confusion prevails over the attendance as the department has not cleared the ambiguity over the physical attendance of teachers in schools.
GK received scores of calls from teachers, zonal offices and other employees of the School Education Department who sought clarity over the physical attendance of the teaching staff in schools.
On August 15, the State Executive Committee of the Department of Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstructions after taking review of the prevailing Covid-19 situation ordered that all the educational institutions would continue to remain closed till further orders.
The government order said that all schools and higher educational institutions including coaching centers would continue to remain closed for onsite or in-person teaching till further orders.
However, the order said that the educational institutions were permitted to seek personal attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes.
“ Further, all heads of higher educational institutions (all institutions with students above the age of 18 ) should in a fortnight assess dose-wise vaccination status of the students and staff of their respective institutions, enabling the State Executive Committee to take a considered view on the re-opening of these institutions for on-site learning,” the order stated.
However, on August 16 and 17, the School Education Department sought physical attendance of teachers in schools but the attendance of teachers was thin in all the schools across Kashmir.
“ The August 15 order has created chaos and confusion in the Education department as every officer right from ZEO to CEO is issuing orders as per their own taste. Some are telling teachers to attend community classes while some teachers have been directed to be present in offices for two hours and some teachers are asked to attend the school for the entire day,” said a teacher posted in district Anantnag.
“ The orders vary not only from one district to another but from one zone to another, even from one school to school. Everyone is confused over the attendance of teachers in schools,” he said.
The teachers said that the CEOs and ZEOs were “over-implementing” government orders issued from time to time.
“ Some CEOs are implementing the Education department order issued on August 2 while some CEOs are implementing the order issued by the SEC on August 15. There is no clarity,” a teacher said.
Till August 2, the teachers were regularly delivering online classes and in continuation to this also participated in open-air community classes in the school premises wherever possible.
However, ahead of the Independence Day, the government made physical attendance of teachers in schools mandatory from August 3 to make preparations for the Independence Day wherein the head of the institution had to hoist the tricolour and the students and staff were directed to sing Rashtra Gaan on August 15.
“ Now we are confused whether we have to deliver community classes in our community and engage students through online classes or ensure our daily attendance in schools,” the teacher said.
Amid this ambiguity, the subordinate offices controlling the schools are seeking reports on physical attendance of teaching staff.
“ Most of the teachers are either delivering community classes or engaging students in online classes but not attending schools physically post August 15,” a teacher from Kupwara said.
A CEO in one of the districts said that the SEC order mentioning that schools could seek personal attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes had created confusion among all.
“ When we say administrative purpose that means teachers have to remain present in school as they can be called for any work at any time of exigency,” he said.
He said that there had been no clarification issued from the Administrative Department about the issue.
Director School Education Kashmir Tasaduq Hussain Mir told Greater Kashmir that the order issued by the SEC on August 15 had been communicated to all CEOs.
“ No other order has to be implemented in schools. Those who do not understand the language used in the government order should resign,” he said.
