Taking a stance further in the action taken against Charanjit Kaur, the head teacher of Government Elementary School, Sri Chand Colony, Mundian Kalan, teachers’ unions of the district have upped the ante against the Education Department officials for taking the decision in haste without conducting any inquiry or without verifying the credentials of the complainant.
The Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, Punjab, which comprises around 13 different unions of the government schoolteachers in an urgently convened meeting, decided to gherao the office of the District Education Officer, Elementary, for suspending the teacher in haste by seeing a mere video footage shot by a civilian, in which two Class V students were seen carrying buckets of garbage outside school.
“We will first meet DEO, Elementary, Jaspreet Kaur and Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Agrawal on January 8 and then hold a big protest at the Mini-Secretariat, Ludhiana, on January 9 against the step-motherly treatment meted out by the Education Department officials against the teacher, who was suspended and another teacher Savita, who was transferred. If our demand is not met, we will intensify protest against the department and if required, the protest will be launched for an indefinite period,” said Ramanjit Sandhu of the Democratic Teachers’ Union.
Sandhu said the person who had made the video viral should face an FIR for trespassing in the school and shooting a video and misbehaving with the teacher. “We also have information that the said person had notorious background and the Education Department should have checked the same before initiating any action against the teacher. The way he insulted the teacher in front of other students and staff is condemnable,” he said.
Paramjit Singh Dhillon, president of Master Cadre Union, said in most of the government schools in Punjab, whether elementary, higher or secondary, there were no vacancies of peon, sweeper or Class IV employees, due to which teachers were under pressure to keep the school premises clean and were spending from their own pockets.
Dy DEO to submit report todayDeputy DEO Kuldeep Saini said he had recorded the statements of several parents of students, some eye-witnesses and some education officials such as the BPO and will submit the entire report to DEO, Elementary, on Monday. The DEO will then send the report to DPI, Chandigarh, with recommendations and further decision — whether the reinstatement of teacher or anything else, will be taken at the headquarter-level only.
The video went viral on Facebook and has more than 10 lakh views already.
