Teachers approaching seniors with plaints to face the music

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 21

Teachers employed at 115 government schools of the city will have to bear consequences under the Punjab Conduct Rule 1996, if they directly approach the higher authorities for the redress of grievances.

The District Education Officer, in his circular dated October 16, has asked the teachers to follow the proper channel for approaching the higher authorities, failing which a strict disciplinary action would be initiated against the delinquent official or teacher.

Teachers will have to seek permission from their respective school heads and then a case will be forwarded to the DEO office. The genuine concerns will hence reach the Education Department at Sector 9, wherein Deputy Director, Director of School Education and Education Secretary will review the cases.

District Education Officer Anujit Kaur, explaining the rationale behind issuing the diktat, said: “A recent trend showed that the teachers had increasingly started approaching the Governor, Member of Parliament (MP) and Mayor, without apprising the higher officials of the Education Department of it. Orders of such nature are a reminder to the teachers that they will have to face repercussions of their actions. They can be served show cause notice under the Punjab Conduct Rule 1966.”

Kaur said: “The union leaders have been raising issues of transfer and keep approaching the dignitaries on periodical basis. However, the transfers have been done on administrative grounds.”

The teachers, on the other hand, have expressed contempt over the diktat. Swaran Singh Kamboj said: “The hours for visiting the DPI are 3 pm to 4 pm for the school staff. We visit the offices after school hours. It is our right to meet the director and present our problems on the behalf of teachers. They even reprimand us for writing to the Prime Minister or MHRD.”

He said: “The issues that are concerned with the higher officials will only be resolved by meeting them. This way, our genuine demands will never be able to reach the higher officials as they will be dumped at the first step of communication. This is the centralisation of powers by the Education Department.”

The circular 

“It has come to the notice of the department that some of the teachers/officials from government schools visit the higher authorities directly, without any prior information to the office. 

If any teacher/official has any query or complaint, they will approach the higher authorities through proper channel only, otherwise, strict action will be initiated against the delinquent official/teacher as per the Punjab Conduct Rule, 1966,” reads the circular issued by the DEO.   

Suggested channel 

• Principal 
• Deputy District Education Officer
• District Education Officer 
• Deputy Director
• District School Education
• Education Secretary