Teachers protest ‘duties’ assigned via social media, demand written orders

Ludhiana: Teachers involved in mission admission campaign are protesting being made to visit government schools during lockdown without proper written instriuctions and want higher authorities to intervene the matter. They claim they are receving arbitrary orders through social media platforms.
Government School Teachers’ Union Punjab secretary Tehal Singh said, “All school heads and teachers of government schools are not required to go to schools during lockdown without any written order from higher and competent authority.”
But according to Singh, teachers are made to visit schools on verbal orders. “If they want teachers to work, then they should issue instructions in writing. Higher officials have issued the orders for schools to distribute mid-day meal to school students of government schools and we are supplying mid-day meal.”
Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) Punjab said the district education officers keep changing their stance regarding the door-to-door school enrollment drive during the lockdown.
District president Hardev Singh Mullanpur said, “ District education officer (elementary education) Ludhiana and deputy district education officer (elementary education) held regular meetings with the head teachers and cluster head teachers of various blocks regarding new admissions in schools on Zoom app. Verbal orders are being issued to them for admission in the schools, this is different from the written orders issued by the block primary education officers.”
Secretary Daljit Singh Samrala said “This is a case of arbitrary and insensitive violation of the guidelines issued by the government. Despite written orders issued to the teachers by the block education officers, giving into pressure, they are recantating their own statements. This shows the insensitive approach of the said officers towards health and education of students and people.”
Finance secretary Manjinder Singh Cheema said “The instructions issued by education department regarding the Zoom app meeting and strict instruction given for admission campaign has been concealed by these officers. By doing so, the aforesaid education officials have created a climate of widespread mistrust and anarchy in the education system.”
S K Chawla, president Ludhiana Unit Punjab Private School Organisation, said “Punjab education minister should immediately stop the non-standard and unconstitutional practice of running the department through WhatsApp messages, ensure regular issuance of letters from the authorities concerned regarding any information sought from teachers or any work to be done. Both , verbal and written orders for enrollment of students in schools and homes during the lockdown period should immediately be revoked.
Inderjeet Singh, DPI Elementary, said, “We will mark an inquiry in the matter. However, I have questioned both district education officer primary Rajinder Kaur and deputy district education officer Kuldeep Saini but they claimed that they have not given any instructions. Many teachers are already on duties with health department. During last three years we have worked hard and a lot of students have switched to government schools from private ones.”