DSEJ cancels attachment of teachers in offices

Srinagar, June 30: In a significant development, the Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) has cancelled the attachment of all the teachers who have been deputed to offices for administrative works in other departments.

As per the order issued by the DSEJ, the teaching and the non-teaching staff has been asked to report back to their original place of postings without any delay.

However, the teachers and the non-teaching employees deployed in Gujjar, Bakerwal Pahari Hostels and for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY)-2024 have been exempted in the order.

"All other teaching staff and non teaching employees are hereby recalled and directed to report to their actual place of posting immediately," the order reads.

"In case of failure to join the actual place of posting, the DDO concerned are directed not to release their salary," it reads.

The copy of the order has been sent to all the Chief Education Officers  (CEOs) of Jammu division with directions to furnish the compliance report at the earliest.

Over the years, the School Education Department (SED) has issued repeated orders directing all the CEOs and Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) to relieve all the teachers, deputed in their offices to ensure that the teachers report back to the schools and take up the primary job of teaching.

However, the orders have seen poor implementations at the ground level as most of the CEOs and ZEOs, particularly in Kashmir division, have not relieved the teachers for unknown reasons. These teachers are manning clerical assignments or other jobs and do not report to the schools.

Another category of teachers designated as cultural coordinators, are enjoying prolonged stints in offices at Zonal and district level. These teachers have not been replaced for almost a decade now.

Despite the strict directions from the government, the officers at district and zonal level are unmoved and continue with the deputation of these teachers in offices.

"These teachers are enjoying patronage of CEOs and ZEOs and do not report to their schools in violation of government orders," an official said.

The official said several teachers have been deputed in DSEK since long in different sections including cultural wing and other cells.

"The teachers are supposed to be replaced with new faces after two to three years but that does not happen at all," the official said.

The official said that besides teachers deputed as cultural coordinators in CEO and ZEO offices, around half a dozen teachers continue manning non-teaching jobs as well at each office.

"Some teachers have been deputed in office to manage Smart Attendance App and their job is to approve leaves. This is totally unacceptable. These teachers have never attended their schools for which they were recruited in the department," the official said.

The official said that if teachers are required in CEO and ZEO offices, the government has set a fixed tenure for their deputation and they are supposed to be replaced after two to three years.

"Why don't they engage these teachers on a rotation basis so that there will be no chance of corruption," the official said.

"The way blue eyed teachers are allowed to continue in office to manage online assignments, it seems that the department will collapse after these teachers retire," he said.

Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Tasaduq Hussain Mir was not available for his comments on the issue.