Punjab Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary on Thursday directed the department officials, deployed on school checking duties, to accord full respect to the teachers during checking of schools and desist from causing panic during such visits.
Chaudhary said that no question should be asked from any of the teachers in front of the students during the course of such visits.
As per the directions of the Education Minister, the Department Secretary Krishan Kumar has issued written orders regarding the full compliance with these directions.
Kumar said that written orders have been issued to the DPI (Secondary Education), DPI (Elementary Education), SCERT director, Circle Education Officers, District Education Officers, and all Education Reform teams for strict compliance with these failing which the erring official would have to face strict action.
Chaudhary said that it was brought to her notice that during school checking visits, the teams misbehave with the teachers and an atmosphere of fear is created.
The Minister also said that owing to such tense atmosphere, panic usually grips teachers who are not able to fathom answers to the queries put to them despite having experience and full command over the subject.
She insisted that checking teams treat the teachers with dignity.
“Checking teams should desist from asking questions from the teachers in front of the students so as to maintain their (teachers’) honour,” she added.
Elaborating, Chaudhary said that the interaction with teachers should center on syllabus being taught to the students, checking the learning level of students, examining the copies, results but in no circumstance should a checking team put a question to a teacher as if the latter is undergoing some kind of examination.
“If at all anything is to be asked, it must be done separately in the room of school Principal,” she made it clear.
“Since a teacher is a nation builder and the most respected personality in the society, great care ought to be taken to not cause embarrassment to them thus lowering their morale,” said the Minister.