Senior lecturers made to work under juniors, association seeks Khattar’s intervention

Even after a high-level committee of the Education Department recommended it four years ago, Post Graduate Teachers (PGTs) in Physical Education are still waiting to be appointed as Assistant Education Officers (AEOs) for Sports.

Currently, the responsibility of sports administration at district headquarters remains with Demonstrators in Physical Education (DPEs), leaving around 600 qualified PGTs sidelined and forced to report to their juniors.

Angered over the delay, members of the Lecturers of Physical Education Haryana Association have approached Union Minister and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar seeking his intervention.

Dinesh Choudhary, former president of the association, said they met the minister during his visit to Karnal on Sunday and urged him to ensure compliance with the committee’s directives.

He explained that a 2005 gazette notification had created posts of District Science Specialist, District Math Specialist and AEO (Sports) in District Education Offices. “At that time, lecturers were appointed to the Science and Math posts, while DPEs were assigned the AEO (Sports) role since no Physical Education lecturers had been recruited then,” Choudhary said.

Later, on July 26, 2017, the department issued directions to appoint AEOs (Sports) preferably from among PGT Physical Education teachers. A high-level committee formed in June 2020 reiterated this recommendation, which was approved by the Chief Minister in January 2021. The Additional Chief Secretary also directed immediate implementation in February 2021,  but nothing has happened.

“We have been forced to report to our junior cadre, so we have requested the Union Minister to intervene in this matter,” Choudhary added.