School Education director general RK Sudhanshu said that education officers conducted surprise inspections in the Government schools of Garhwal and Kumaon divisions on Monday and they found that as many as 56 teachers of Government schools were found absent from their schools without submitting leave applications to their respective principals in the State and around 26 per cent students were found absent in different schools of Tehri district. He further said that departmental action will be taken against the school teachers found absent from their schools.

While talking to The Pioneer, School Education Joint director incharge Mukul Kumar Sati said that following the direction of the DG, officers including additional director, joint director, chief education officer and block education officer were directed to conduct surprise inspections in Government schools on Monday. As many as 599 Government schools including 188 in Kumaon division and 411 in Garhwal division were inspected. During inspection, it was found that food was not being prepared under Midday meal scheme in two schools including one in Uttarkashi and another in Almora district.

Around 20 per cent students in schools of Dehradun district and 26 per cent in Tehri district were found absent. Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was not being implemented in eight schools including three in Dehradun district. Around 165 teachers were found absent but their principals told that they had gone to education department for completing departmental works. Around 329 teachers were found absent on sanctioned leave.

According to him, education officers will be deployed to conduct surprise inspections in Government schools occasionally in order to ensure that teachers are attending work and to check implementation of different schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Abhiyan.

It should be mentioned here that recently several lacunas including use of text book guide by teachers in classes, students’ performance below Government standard, poor quality of education, school staff going on leave without getting approval among other irregularities were observed in Government schools of Dehradun district and departmental action were taken against these teachers by the education department.