Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 10

Teachers have demanded that the Education Department should stick to its order that schools will work with 50 per cent staff. Not only this, teachers said working hours for teachers should be reduced from 8 am to 11 am because for teachers in Ludhiana, it would be difficult to reach back as curfew is imposed daily at 12 noon.

During a meeting held here today which was attended by Surinder Kumar Puari, state president, Government School Teachers’ Union, Secretary Balkar Valtoha, Patron Charan Sarabha, Press Secretary Praveen Kumar and Tehal Singh Sarabha, the teachers said the recent order that in schools where there are 10 or less teachers, all should report, was not acceptable.

They said about 90-95 per cent of primary and middle school teachers in the state will have to go to school with 100 per cent staff as in primary and middle schools the number of staff does not exceed three or four.

The organisation urged Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla that the order regarding attendance of 50 per cent staff should be implemented in all the primary, middle, high and secondary schools so that the adverse effects of the epidemic could be avoided.

The organisation also demanded that the school hours should be changed to 8 am to 11 am so that the teachers could reach their homes before 12 noon, as after 12 noon curfew comes into force and teachers will face difficulties in reaching their homes.