Ludhiana: Studies suffer as teaching staff deputed for election duty despite staff crunch
Schools struggle to meet syllabus deadlines, amid staff crunch, and studies continue to take a hit as teaching staff is deputed for the preparation of electoral roll for the constitution of the new board of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).
Schools struggle to meet syllabus deadlines, amid staff crunch, and studies continue to take a hit as teaching staff is deputed for the preparation of electoral roll for the constitution of the new board of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC).
School heads said that despite schools already suffering due to quite a limited teaching staff, nearly 10 master cadre teachers are appointed as block level officers (BLOs), hampering their classes.
One of the principals of the senior secondary school, requesting anonymity said, “We are facing shortage of teaching staff. To make matters worse, BLOs will be required to render services for SGPC elections Monday onwards, and most of them will not be taking their classes for 15 days. Amid a shortage of lecturers in many of the schools, master cadre teachers are conducting classes for 11 and 12 standards also. They can depute non-teaching staff, without which the school can still manage but without teaching staff, it becomes extremely difficult for us to substitute the classes of those on duty.”
The school heads added that BLOs are paid an extra amount, apart from their salary, for performing these duties, which is why they should be directed to perform the electoral duties after school hours.
Lecturer Cadre Union district president Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, said that the students are suffering as in the absence of those teachers who are on duty, their classes are hampered. “In case a teacher on duty is the only lecturer of a particular subject in the school, how can a teacher teaching a different subject take the former’s class?” he added.
When approached, deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney remarked, “It is the same regular BLO duty which is done alongside teaching or regular work. In case any school head is finding it difficult to manage where the staff is way less in number, they can always approach me or the district education officer.”