Teachers up in arms over Min's 'absconder' remark

The teaching community in Uttarakhand is agitated over the reported comment of Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani in which he referred to teachers as habitual absconders.  The Minister made this utterance recently at Haldwani when he was asked to comment by newsmen over an incident where a science lecturer of a school in Haldwani district failed to answer some simple questions which the District Magistrate threw at him during an inspection.

The patron of Kumaon division of Rajkeeya Shikshak Sangh (RSS), Sohan Singh Majila, told The Pioneer that such unparliamentary language was not expected from the Minister. He said that such statements portray the teaching community as culprit which is not a good sign for the students and the society at large.   

Majila was of the view that if some teachers are not attending the school then action against them should be taken as per the service rules. 

He said that the Government has appointed principals/ headmasters in all the schools and they should be held accountable if the teachers of their schools are absconding from their duties. 

The president of Dehradun district unit of the RSS N S Bisht also echoed similar sentiments. He said that the teachers are shocked at such a comment. 

Bisht said that it is very painful when such a bad picture of teaching community is portrayed. He said that strict departmental action should be taken against the teachers who are absent without intimation but the entire community of teachers should not be blamed.

 Some of the teachers are so furious over the 'absconder' adjective that they demanded immediate apology from the Minister.  Further, the act of the District Magistrate asking questions and humiliating teachers in front of students is also irritating the teachers. One of teachers said that they are selected by a tough competitive examination and they should not be humiliated in such a manner.