J & K teachers relieved of additional duty-burdens

The move is aimed at ensuring that the education system doesn't suffer and get distracted.

"We want to provide teachers a congenial atmosphere and minimize the disruption in academic activities. After brainstorming and thorough deliberations, it has been felt that teachers should be allowed to concentrate on their primary goal of imparting education and for that they should be relieved of all other duties". Jammu and Kashmir
Education Minister Altaf Bukhari said at a press conference in Jammu on Friday.

“I am of the opinion that teachers are the custodian of our future. The need of the hour is to restore their dignity and honor by relieving them of all duties other than academic activities,” the Minister said.

He said the objective of these reforms is to reinforce a sense of accountability and ownership of schools  among the teaching fraternity.

The decision has been hailed by the teachers' community and the parents in equal measure as most of the people have been complaining about this.  The state of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a  lead in this direction.

“We are happy with the decision and it will  help teachers ocus on their prime task of teaching, it's  a great step,” said a teacher.

Welcoming the decision,  President Employees Joint Action Committee Jammu and Kashmir Abdul Qayoom Wani said, “Finally, a  long pending demand of the  Education Department  has been accepted by state Government,”

"The education department has been suffering for many years because teachers are often engaged by the Government in many assignments, including election and census which creates huge gaps in the  education sector," Qayoom Wani told India Blooms News Service in Srinagar.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)