Primary teachers not to be deployed for non-academic duties

MUMBAI: Maharashtra Government has directed officials to ensure that primary school teachers under local self-government bodies should not be used for non-academic duties.

"Except for works of national importance, like elections and census, teachers should not be deployed for non-academic purposes," a Government Resolution (GR), issued on August 1, said.

The Government has made it clear that even in case of election and census-related duties, the work should be assigned only on holidays and during 'non-teaching period'.

In the recent monsoon session, the Government had come in for flak from opposition members over 'burdening teachers with non-academic work'. The GR makes a mention of the same, saying 'following the discussion in Legislature, the Government was considering freeing teachers from non-academic work.'

On December six last year, the Supreme Court ruled that teachers should not be deployed on non-academic duties during school timings, including election duties, census work and polio drop campaigns.

However, eight months later, while authorities claim they cannot take action before receiving specific instructions from the State government, teachers continue to be deployed on electoral duties including revision of voters lists and issuing photo passes to voters.

The Government had in 1996 issued a circular making it clear that deploying teachers for non-academic duties resulted in disruption of the children's studies, the GR said.