Teachers flout Govt order, enjoy postings in zonal offices

Srinagar, Sep 24: There seem to be no takers for the order issued last month by the Director of School education, Kashmir banning teachers to discharge duties at Zonal Education Offices.
As per the order issued by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir on August 19, no teacher shall be allowed to work in Zonal Education Offices. However, there seems to be least takers for such a vital order that was issued with.
The motive behind issuing the order was to streamline the education system in the government run schools in Valley. However, throwing rules to the wind, there are several teachers who are discharging their professional duties at Zonal Offices while leaving the students in absolute lurch.
One of the teachers engaged under ReT scheme has been working in the office of Zonal Education Officer Hawal instead of a school for which he has been engaged.
When contacted, the teacher name withheld admitted that he is a teacher engaged under RET scheme and his actual positing is at Maqdoom Sahib school of Srinagar district. He further admitted that he has been discharging his duties as Zonal Education Research Person (ZERP) in the office of ZEO Hawal, Srinagar. When asked how come he remains in the zonal office when government has banned the practice, he peevishly told the reporter to complain to the Director Education Dr G.N Yatoo.
As per the insiders, the practice of engaging teachers in Zonal Offices has not been affected even after the Director School Education passed a formal order in this regard.

Officials privy to this development stated that the practice goes on in a most insidious way as the teachers on papers are shown discharging duties in schools, while in actual they remain present in Zonal offices.

“It is no less than a racket that demands a thorough probe. The government needs to be made aware about how the government schools are deliberately drained off from the teachers and why,” says an official wishing not to be named.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Zonal Education Officer Khalida Parveen first feigned ignorance that any RET has been engaged in her Zonal Office. However, she was quick to admit that it is the Director School Education Kashmir who has allowed the RETs to work in the zonal office. (KNS)