School heads get powers to place staff under suspension

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, October 23

To empower the school heads to handle emergency situations in maintaining discipline in the government schools in the state, the School Education Department has delegated them the powers to place the ‘delinquent’ subordinate staff under suspension.

As per the new orders, while the District Education Officer (DEO-Secondary) is now empowered to place a principal, headmaster and all ministerial and non-teaching staff in his office under suspension.

The DEO (Elementary) has got the power to place a block primary education officer (BPEO) and all ministerial and no-teaching staff in his office under suspension.

Similarly, a principal, a headmaster and the BPEOs have got the power to deal with his/her subordinate staff, including the teaching and no-teaching staff, in the schools and in educational blocks.

Earlier, these powers were vested only with the appointing authority, the DPI, the Secretary or the Director-General of the School Education Department (DGSE) in Chandigarh.

The step is being envisaged as a revolutionary initiative in the department to discipline the delinquent employees at the district and school level. But it has stirred a hornet’s nest as the teacher unions are apprehensive of these powers in the hands of school and district heads being misused.

There are chances that the powers can be used to settle personal scores, said Prem Chawla, a senior functionary in the Joint Action Teachers’ Front in Faridkot.

Krishan Kumar, Secretary, School Education Department, said these powers were delegated at the district and school level. However, after placing an employee under suspension, these authorities would forthwith report to the respective appointing authorities, the Director or the Director-General of the School Education, the circumstances under which the orders of suspension were made. These district and school level authorities would get the confirmation and ex-post facto approval of these suspension orders from the respective appointing authorities, said the secretary.

These powers have been delegated under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules.

Sources in the department revealed that during the meetings with the Secretary or Director, most of the times the District Education Officers and school heads had complained of ‘errant’ teachers not paying much attention to their directions as they were not able to take immediate necessary action against them.

The powers have been delegated to these officers with the objective of maintaining discipline in schools and subordinate offices in the department at the district level, the Secretary said.