Malerkotla residents fume over Census duty for teachers amid admissions

Government schoolteachers being put on Census duty even as admissions are in full swing has not gone down with the students’ parents, who hit out the authorities and said the move has derailed classroom activities.

According to the information available, some school heads have also been deployed for the Census, further compounding the problems for parents visiting the institutes for admissions.

“The government should ensure deployment of teachers on non-teaching duties is minimised so people are not discouraged to get their wards admitted to government schools,” said Deepak Sharma, former councillor. He said it was possible people would opt for private schools if they see a lack of teachers at government institutes.

Acute staff crunch

Teachers deployed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and on other duties has led to acute staff shortages at multiple schools.

For instance, six out of eight regular teachers from a private aided school in Ahmedgarh have been deployed as supervisors and enumerators. Another teacher from the school has already been deployed as a BLO.

The eighth teacher, a person with special needs, is the only one left behind.

Office-bearers and activists of teachers’ unions have been protesting the frequent deployment for non-teaching works, which they claimed was affecting their performance in the classrooms.

The activists alleged the authorities in the Local Bodies Department had not even spared teachers suffering from serious medical aliment, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, from field duties as enumerators and supervisors.

Chander Parkash Wadhwa, Census Charge Officer-cum-Executive Officer, for Ahmedgarh, Amargarh and Malerkotla, said deployment of teachers was done according to lists provided by heads of respective schools after orders of Deputy Commissioner Viraj S Tidke, who also serves as the Principal Census Officer.

“We sought details of the staff posted at each school and those certified by the principals as severe patients or couples were exempted from field duties,” said Wadhwa, adding requests for adjustments were being considered.

Governmen Primary School, Chhanna; Government Primary School, Amarpura Mohalla; and PM Shri Government High School, Vishwakarma Primary School, Jain Muni

Shri Kundan Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Guru Nanak Kanya Mahavidyalaya and MGMN Senior Secondary School in Ahmedgarh are among the institutes facing staff shortages due to the Census duties.