The state secondary education board has asked the teachers in the government-aided schools to comply with the guidelines regarding their attendance in the schools.
A notice issued by an official of the board in the last week of February says: “The ambience of the schools is getting vitiated due to the non-compliance of the various directions....under the heading: “Prayer/ Assembly/ Attendance”.
In January, too, the board in a notice said teachers at government and government-aided schools have to reach the institution by 10.35am.
The order issued in January 2 said if teachers in the junior high school (Classes VI to VIII) and secondary (Classes IX to X) levels reach school after 10.50am, they would be marked “late”.
A board official said since the teachers were violating the directive, they sent a notification addressed to the heads of the institutions in which the teachers have been alerted about the non-compliance.
The notification says: “I am directed to reiterate to all the stakeholders of all recognized…..to strictly adhere to various instructions given in the relevant section, as referred above, and uphold the effective internal functioning of the school which qualifies the quality of the school and teacher effectiveness, thus creating a positive atmosphere….”
The board in it’s January 2 order notification, had said the “appointed hour”, which specifies the time by which a teaching or non-teaching staff member has to reach school, will be 10.35am.
It is mandatory for the head of the institution and all staff of the schools (teaching and non-teaching) to attend the prayer assembly (from 10.40 to 10.50 hours), the order said.
They will be marked late if they arrive after 10.50am, it added.
A board official said they are getting reports that during the morning prayer only a handful of teachers are present.
“Classes are to commence from 10.50am. Some of the teachers are failing to commence classes on time and coming up with one excuse after another. This is setting a poor precedent. The board won’t allow this and therefore the notification has been issued,” said a board official.
The official said if they mark a teacher absent, students miss out on classes.
“Through this notification, we have reminded the teachers what is expected of them,” said board secretary Subrata Ghosh.
Swapan Mandal, the general secretary of the Bengal Teachers’ and Employees’ Association, said: “Instead of giving reminders the board should take stringent action against the errant teachers if it intends to enforce discipline.”
A board official said: “If the scenario does not improve, we will take stringent
measures against the errant teachers.”
