Sirmaur: Lecturers’ body raises concerns over school safety, vacant posts

Office bearers of the Sirmaur district unit of the School Lecturers’ Association held a meeting with Dr Himendra Bali, Deputy Director of Higher Education, on Thursday in Nahan. The delegation, led by State Chairman Surendra Pundir and District president Dr ID Rahi, later addressed the press and highlighted several pressing issues concerning the functioning of government schools in the district.

A key concern raised was the rising incidents of harassment faced by girl students in some schools. Dr Bali assured that strict instructions had been issued to inspecting officers to conduct regular visits to schools to ensure a safe and disciplined learning environment. He emphasised that periodic inspections would help deter such incidents and foster a secure atmosphere for students.

The association also voiced concern over the large number of vacant teaching posts and urged the department to expedite the recruitment process. They called for a comprehensive evaluation of the reasons behind poor academic performance in certain schools before issuing show-cause notices to principals and teachers, stressing that staff should not be blamed without assessing all contributing factors.

Among the key demands was the reduction of the minimum travel distance required to qualify for travel allowance — from the current 30 km to 10 km in rural areas and 15 km in urban areas. The association further suggested that, in addition to the existing minimum tenure of three years for transfers, a maximum tenure at a single location should also be clearly defined to ensure fair rotation.

Other demands included the timely disbursement of financial benefits such as dearness allowance and pay arrears, easing the administrative burden on school heads, and accelerating the online updating of service records for principals and Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs). The issue of pending salary payments to SMC-appointed lecturers during maternity leave was also discussed, to which the Deputy Director responded that action would be taken in accordance with the rules.

The meeting concluded with the Deputy Director assuring the Association of serious consideration and appropriate follow-up on the issues raised.