Cluster system to be introduced in schools

Avneet Kaur
Jalandhar, September 13

Taking cognisance of the complaints regarding the shortage of teachers lodged by various panchayats, the State Education Department in a notification released to all District Education Officers (DEO’s) has decided to introduce cluster system in schools to ensure judicious use of the available teaching faculty.

Under this, the principals of the Government Senior Secondary Schools will be notified as cluster in charge. The list of the schools falling within the cluster shall be decided by the Director, Public Instructions (DPI) (SE), on the recommendation of the District Education Officers (DEOs).

The cluster in charge principal will be authorised to make the adjustments within the cluster to depute teachers from the schools having surplus staff to the schools facing the shortage of teachers. However, the arrangement will be be temporary till the end of the academic session or the posts are filled through rationalisation, recruitment and promotions.

As per the notification released by the Education Department, the cluster in charge principal will have to send the proposal directly to the Nodal Officer at the office of the DPI for seeking approval.

“In case, the cluster in charge principals are still not able to fulfil the shortage of the teachers in their respective clusters, then the DEO concerned will identify some teachers from any school where the teachers are either surplus or he can depute some teachers on administrative grounds. The DEO will prepare a proposal and send the same to the Nodal Officer for seeking approval from the DPI (SE)”, reads the notification.

Not happy with the decision, a government teacher Harvinder Singh alleged: “The system in the past has been misused by some of the schools in the state. The principal usually misuse the power and no equal opportunities given to teachers. The development was restricted to just one or two schools while the rest of the schools cry for attention.”

Another government teacher Harpreet too raised the same question as Harvinder over the implementing of the cluster system in a fair manner and said: “Rather than deputing teachers from one school to another, the government should come up with a plan and create posts and regularise all those teacher who have been waiting to come under the umbrella of the Education Department since long.”

Meanwhile, talking to this correspondent, Harwinder Pal Singh, DEO, Secondary said: “The cluster system will eventually solve the problem of shortage of staff in schools. There will be no room for any sort of misuse of powers by principals as the recommendations has to be approved by the DPI.”

Fact file

The cluster in charge principal will be authorised to make the adjustments within the cluster to depute teachers from schools having surplus staff to those schools facing the shortage of teachers. However, the arrangement will be be temporary till the end of the academic session or the posts are filled through rationalisation, recruitment and promotions.