Publishers dictating textbooks, no govt oversight: Tarigami

Jammu, Mar 18: CPI(M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami on Tuesday alleged that publishers were dictating school curricula with no oversight from the Department of School Education.

“The topics  included in textbooks from Class 5 to Class 8 are decided by publishers. Where is the control of the Department of School Education,” he said while speaking in legislative assembly. He said that there must be a uniformity of text books  in all primary and middle level schools.

“I am against the privatisation of education, but now at least there should be some government and authority on such schools,” Tarigami said after Javed Ahmad Dar, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj  responded to his question related to the education department.

The legislator also called for an increase in the wages of cook-cum-helpers working under the PM Poshan scheme. “They receive just Rs 1,000, which is nothing short of a joke in the name of honorarium, especially given the rising prices,”he said.

The Minister said that cooks were paid as per the guidelines of the Union  Ministry of Education with the sharing pattern of 90:10 for preparation of meals and for the whole  day.

In response to the question about the steps taken to continue the services of the cluster resource coordinators and hike in their salaries,  the Minister said that the School Education Department had been engaging contractual lecturers on contractual basis for academic sessions. However, since 2019 no such lecturers were engaged.

“ However, to cope up the shortage of staff in High and Higher Secondary schools during the academic session 2024-2025 as many as 1496 Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) were hired on temporary basis to teach specific subjects at a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 up to 31-03 -2025 only,” informed the Minister.

Tarigami sought the increase of their monthly honorarium from Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 and the continuation of their services.   Regarding the availability of vacancies in the School Education Department, the Minister informed that 98 principal posts, 3 joint director posts, 18 ZEO positions, 2 principal DIET posts, and 166 headmaster positions are currently vacant.

“ All these posts are in promotion quota and will be fulfilled shortly as per Gazetted Service Recruitment Rules JKPSC/DPC,”informed the Minister.  He further informed that 727 non-teaching staff  posts and 43 MTS  were lying vacant.

“These shall be referred to the JKSSB after seeking concurrence of the Finance Department in light of its circular instructions for revival of these posts having remained unfilled for more than two years,” said the Minister.