Increase enrolment, else no salary hike: Dept to teachers

Dinesh Manhotra

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 19

As enrolment in government-run schools is decreasing rapidly with every passing year due to poor infrastructure, the higher authorities in the J&K education department have issued a ‘dictatorial order’.

The higher-ups, in a circular issued last week, have fixed responsibility on every teacher to bring at least 10 students for admission in the academic session 2019-20. It is mentioned in the order that the annual increment of teachers would be stopped if they failed to achieve the target.

According to a circular issued by the chief education officers (CEOs) of different districts, headmasters, zonal education officers (ZEOs) and principals have been tasked to direct every teacher to bring 10 students for admission in the new academic session. “After detailed discussions, it has been decided by the authorities that increment of teachers/headmasters and ZEOs will only and only be released if they show an increase in enrolment in their schools. No official will take this lightly,” the circular reads.

Giving a veiled warning to the teaching staff, it is mentioned in the order that “we are not playing our role towards the job. Teachers are mute spectators and they are not convincing parents to get their wards admitted ito government schools”.

According to official data, there are 23,747 government schools in the state, including 12,252 in the Jammu province and 11,495 in Kashmir. Over seven lakh students are studying in these schools.

Due to low enrolmnent, a survey was conducted in May 2015 and institutions with less than 15 students were clubbed with other schools. Despite this, the enrolment in government schools is decreasing every passing year.