Here, teachers’ use influence to get posted in city schools

Sources in the Education Department said most of the teachers posted in the city schools being influential manage their posting in the city and majority of them are those who have never been transferred to a school even on the periphery of the city. "They manage their posting from one school to the other in the vicinity and there are several examples where the teachers are staying put in the same school within the city for over a decade now," sources said, adding that all this is done by the Education Department to please some influential persons.

For instance, the Government Girls High School, Gandhi Nagar has 12 masters and 27 teachers to teach only 450 students as against the prescribed strength of 6 masters and 10 teachers for a high school. (The school had detached two teachers on March 31, 2000 pursuant to the orders of the Director School Education, Jammu).

Similarly, there are 6 masters and 17 teachers for 220 students in the Government Girls High School, City Chowk. (The school had recently detached one master and a teacher each.)

Sources said there was a lot of hue and cry against the transfer of teachers in 1997, when the then Director School Education, Jammu, A K Mehta, had ordered that those teachers who had over three years of stay in a particular school would be transferred. But, as most of the teachers posted in the city had recommendations from politicians, bureaucrats, resourceful doctors and even members of the judiciary, they could manage their postings within the city from one school to the other, sources added.

Majority of the government schools in the city do not have students commensurate to the staff strength. And, the Government Girls High School, Kachhi Chowni is no exception. Even after detaching three teachers and one master on March 31, there are still seven masters and 17 teachers for 300 students!

Interestingly, just 50 metres away from the girls high school is situated the Government Middle School, Kachhi Chowni. The middle school, which detached one teacher and master each recently, still has a strength of one master and 18 teachers for about 200 students. As per the Education Department guidelines, only one master and 7 teachers are required for a middle school.

It is not that it never dawned upon the Education Department to take corrective measures. A few years back, the authorities clubbed the Government Primary School (GPS), Pacca Danga; the GPS, Mast Garh; and the Girls Middle School, Dhounthli with the GPS, Jullaka Mohalla. Though the schools were clubbed, the sanctioned posts of teachers were too added. As a result, no rationalisation of the staff strength with the students’ roll could take place.

Situated on the premises of the GPS, Jullaka Mohalla, the clubbed school has only 125 students. And, even after detachment of a teacher recently, there are 16 teachers and two masters to teach the students in the school.

Surprisingly, a government high school is in the vicinity, just 100 metres away from the GPS, Jullaka Mohalla. The Government High School, Jullaka Mohalla, with class VI to class X, has total students’ strength of only 123. And, after recent detachment of one teacher, there are still 5 masters and 12 teachers to take care of the 123 students.