OSSTA opposes review by less qualified

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA), a body of high school teachers, has strongly opposed the state government decision that Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCC)s will monitor teaching at 5T high schools transformation (HST) institutions.
According to the government directive, the CRCCs will be present in classrooms for 15-20 minutes and evaluate the teachers. However, teachers said CRCCs are lower in rank and qualification compared to high school teachers and as a result they do not feel comfortable being judged by them.
The OSSTA, in a letter to school and mass education secretary Aswathy S, wrote that in most of the 5T high schools there are headmasters of senior secondary or Group II cadre. On the other hand, the CRCCs who have been engaged in monitoring class and observing work, belong to Group IV or V cadre of elementary wing. “If they will monitor and observe the classes in 5T high schools, it will affect the dignity of senior secondary headmasters,” the letter read, urging the school and mass education secretary to revise the decision.
“We have no objection in being monitored while taking classes. But it should be done by a competent person. A CRCC, who is less qualified than a secondary teacher, may not be the best judge,” said Prakash Chandra Mohanty, general secretary of OSSTA.
Official sources said the CRCC have been monitoring elementary classes under the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan. The scheme has now changed into Samagra Sikhya, which includes up to Class X. So by default they have been engaged in monitoring of higher classes as well.
Anupam Saha, state project director of Odisha School Education Programme Authority, said, “As the installation and functioning of various components are essential towards smooth functioning of 5T-HST schools along with proper monitoring and supervision, it is very much necessary to designate one district level sector officer for each block. We have asked senior officers to be engaged in the monitoring and supervision work of 5T-HST schools.”