Educators reported that in multiple schools, nearly the whole workforce has been designated for Census duties, leaving no personnel to handle new enrollments and carryout regular lessons.
During the current admission period, government schools in Jalandhar are experiencing a significant shortage of staff, as many teachers are assigned to digital Census responsibilities, resulting in classrooms being largely unattended.
Educators reported that in multiple schools, nearly the whole workforce has been designated for Census duties, leaving no personnel to handle new enrollments and carryout regular lessons. A letter from the district Census officer of the Municipal Corporation, Jalandhar, reveals that nearly 520 teachers have been assigned as enumerators and supervisors, with training sessions planned from April 20 to 22. The implementation involves instructors, master level educators, and even school leaders.
The situation is particularly alarming in schools such as Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Qadianwali; GSSS, Ladhewali; School of Eminence, Maqsudan; Government Middle School, Khusropur; and GSSS, Heran; where reportedly 100 per cent of the staff has been put on Census duty.
Teachers have raised serious concerns, stating that the administration has failed to maintain balance while assigning duties.
They noted that thislevel of extensive deployment was not seen even during the 2011 Census and claimedtherewasa lack of coordination between the district administration and the Education Department.
“Rather than assigning the whole teaching work force to the Census task, the officials should have involved staff from different departments,” stated an educator, noting that the existing method has rendered schools ineffective.
Ravinder, the district president of the BEd Teachers Front, stated, “Almost fifty percent of the teaching staff in Jalandhar is currently involved in SIR responsibilities, and the other teachers have been tasked with the Census activities, resulting in government schools being largely unoccupied. Furthermore, educators are already weighed down by non-academic tasks like uploading data on the MStar app and responsibilities associated with government programs. “We have scarce time available for real teaching.”
A teacher from a prestigious school on Ladowali road stated, “This year, numerous students from private institutions have enrolled in government schools. Nonetheless, because of the active Census responsibilities, there’s a chance that in a month, these students might return to private schools since there are barely any teachers available to lead classes. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has consistently asserted that educators won’t be assigned non-teaching tasks, yet the actual situation reveals an entirely different scenario.
Kulwinder Singh, the district president of the Democratic Teachers Front, stated, “The conditions in government schools are expected to deteriorate even more, with the number of teachers assigned for Census responsibilities potentially increasing to 1,400. Even individuals not formally recognized are getting messages designating their responsibilities. Academic activities are anticipated to stay affected until May. In this situation, learners might more frequently transfer to private institutions because of the lack of standard classes.”
