Himachal school lecturers’ association urges fee waiver for computer education

The Himachal Pradesh School Lecturers’ Association, led by state president Ajay Negi, has appealed to Education Minister Rohit Thakur to waive the monthly computer education fee for students of Classes IX to XII. The move aims to promote technical education and ease the financial burden on economically weaker students.

“There are over 700 computer teachers in the state, yet student enrolment in computer education remains low. Waiving the monthly fee will encourage more students to opt for the subject,” said Negi.

The association also pressed for the immediate filling of 850 vacant principal posts, citing the need to ensure effective academic and administrative functioning in schools.

Further, the delegation called for a fair investigation into cases of poor examination results before penalising teachers. Negi highlighted that various factors — including low student enrolment and recently established schools — often impact performance. “We have requested that teachers not be penalised for results below 25 per cent if the class strength is fewer than five students,” he added.

Another key demand was that lecturer rationalisation be implemented in accordance with a 1:30 teacher-student ratio, as recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP). In response, the Education Minister assured the association that the promotion list for principals would be released soon and that all concerns raised would be addressed in a fair and positive manner.