The summer vacations in the government schools of the state are the time of joyful unofficial holidays for the non teaching staff.
The summer vacations in Governement schools started from May 25 and the schools will reopen on July 1.
In the education department, the teaching staff is entitled to the summer vacations as the students. The non-teaching staff, however, is supposed to open the school office regularly on the week days so that the works like transfer certificate, character certificate, communications from the higher offices and admissions are not affected. The non-teaching staff gets the benefit of Earned leave (El) for this duty during the summer vacations. This staff is provided 16 Els in first half of the year and 15 Els in the second half of a year. The teaching staff is not given the benefit of the earned leave as they avail the benefit of vacations.
This problem of absconding from the duty by the non teaching staffs of the schools probably occurs as the Principals -being the teaching staff themselves-of the schools are also given the benefit of vacations. In absence of any direct authority the office staff tends to bunk their duties. The Additional Director Secondary Education NK Bahuguna told The Pioneer that the department is aware of the issue and is viewing it very seriously.
He said that all the Chief Education Officers (CEO) have been directed to the intensively monitor the position apart from them the directorate will also conduct surprise raids in the schools to ensure that the offices in them are open. Bahuguna said that strict action would be initiated against those employees who are found absent from the school. There are 1,170 Inter colleges and 994 high schools in the state apart from them there are 277 inter colleges and 44 high schools which are aided by the State Government.