DSEJ orders dissolution of cells established at division, district, zonal level offices

Srinagar, Jun 24: Directorate of School Education Jammu (DSEJ) has ordered dissolution of all the cells established at directorate, district and zonal level offices.

The move is seen as a positive development which will pave the way for sending all the teachers, deployed in these cells, to their original place of postings-schools.

As per the order issued by Director School Education Jammu, the cells were established in past to improve supervision and coordination of different activities conducted in schools.

Notably, various cells like cultural cell, counselling cell, coordination cell, media cell, innovation cell and NCC cell were established and were operational at the Directorate of School Education, Chief Education Office, Zonal Education Office.

"NEP 2020 also encourages decentralised and school based implementation of various activities rather than operating them through centralised cells and there is need that these activities are performed at the school level under the overall supervision of Cluster Head, thereby reducing the utility of these cells and designated Nodal Officers in various offices of School Education Department," the order reads.

The order further reads that there was a need to strengthen school level teaching and learning process for which teachers must primarily serve their role in the schools to improve learning outcomes and holstic development of students as envisaged in National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.

"In order to streamline operations within the Directorate of School Education, it is hereby ordered that various cells constituted at all levels - Directorate, CEOs and ZEOs shall be dissolved with immediate effect to ensure optimal resource utilisation," the order reads.

As per the order, various nodal officers designated for working of these cells have been dissolved with immediate effect.

"The staff posted or deployed in these cells shall report to their original place of posting immediately without availing any joining time and resume their teaching duties," the order reads.

As per the order, the DSEJ has stated that all the records, relevant materials maintained by the respective cells must be handed over to the dealing clerk to be designated by the head of office.

"It is further ordered that the Heads of Clusters shall undertake these activities at the school level strictly as per the activity calendar for the year 2025-26 preferably during morning assembly, without any compromise in academic standards," the order reads.

Further, to review the progress of students in academic and co-curricular activities, DSEJ has said that regular Parent Teacher Meetings (PTM) shall be held on fortnightly basis as under:

"The consolidated action taken report of these co-curricular activities and PTMs, along with relevant media must be sent on monthly basis by email to innovationdsej@gmail.com," the order reads.

Soon after the order for dissolution of Cells was issued, the DSEJ recieved praises from stakeholders saying that the move will ensure accountability in the system and will do away with pick and choose policy of officers for deployment of influential teachers in these cells without putting any cap on the tenure on deployment period.

The stakeholders demanded that similar action should be taken by the Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) to ensure that the teachers deployed in these Cells for years together will join their original place of postings.

"The decision taken by DSEJ is a timely move and progressive step towards streamlining the education system at the grassroots level," said Chairman JK ReT Forum, Khalid Rafeeq Bhat.

"This long-pending demand of teachers has been finally fulfilled," he said.

The teachers demanded that system of Cells functional in Kashmir division should be dissolved without any delay.

Secretary School Education Department (SED) Ram Niwas Sharma when contacted said the action taken in Jammu division will follow in Kashmir division as well.

"If it is done in Jammu, we will dissolve these cells in Kashmir as well," he told Greater Kashmir.

He further said that the student was the priority for the department and all the efforts will be given to ensure that they receive quality education in government schools.