Rajouri administration’s decision to mandate teachers working in rural areas to get attendance certificate from concerned Sarpanches has not gone down well. The administration has stated that the teachers have to necessarily get the certificate for receiving their salaries.
Teachers have called this order to be unnecessary and said that this order has raised questions over integrity of the entire teaching community. The administration has directed Zonal Education Officers, which are posted in the Rajouri district, to comply with the order so, ZEOs directed all school in-charges in rural areas for the same.
The government order states that as directed by DC Rajouri in pubic Darbar Sunderbani on 16 February 2021, all head of Institutions of high, middle and primary schools have to submit the attendance certificates signed by the Sarpanch of the concerned panchayat halqa on 30th of every month for receiving their salaries for that particular month.
The contested attendance certificate includes information like name of the employee, place of posting, leaves taken during that particular month and remarks by the concerned ZEO.
The teaching associations is alleging that the order passed by the district administration Rajouri is totally illogical and unreasonable causing teachers to become a subject of attendance certificate countersigned by the concerned Sarpanch/ PRIs.
Members of the teachers’ association alleged that this unnecessary order is putting suspicions over the integrity of the teaching community which is doing its duty even in unfavourable conditions. Other than educating children, teachers also play a vital role in the implementation of various schemes. When the government should bring comprehensive reforms in the education system, it is targeting teachers unnecessarily through such orders.
Teachers’ association further said that district administration Rajouri has weakened the powers of the higher officials in the Education Department including concerned ZEOs and CEO by passing this order. The association alleged that such orders put the teachers at the mercy of sarpanchs.
