Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS) The second day of the Maharashtra State Legislature’s budget session witnessed a heated exchange over the mounting burden of non-academic duties imposed on school teachers.

NCP legislator Vikram Kale in the state Legislative Council on Tuesday raised a poignant “Calling Attention” motion, highlighting the plight of educators who are increasingly being diverted from their primary role of teaching.

The debate took a sharp turn when Kale alleged that teachers were recently assigned the task of “counting stray dogs,” calling it a profound insult to the teaching profession in a state that follows the progressive ideals of Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar.

“We call them ‘Acharya’ (revered teachers) and give them a place of honour, yet we task them with counting dogs? Whether it is election duties, voter list updates, or even counting toilets, the government always looks towards teachers despite having other staff,” Kale argued.

He further highlighted the operational crisis in schools.

He cited an instance where 45 out of 60 teachers in a single school were drafted for Zilla Parishad election duties, leaving only 15 teachers to manage 2,000 students. He claimed that when teachers voice concerns, District Collectors often threaten them with criminal action.

Responding to the allegations, Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar clarified that the government has not officially tasked teachers with a “dog census.”

According to the Minister, the directive originated from a Supreme Court order regarding public safety and hygiene. The instructions given to schools were to maintain clean educational premises, ensure proper fencing to prevent stray animals, and properly dispose of food waste to avoid attracting stray dogs.

“No teacher has been asked to count dogs. We are simply asking them to ensure a safe and hygienic environment within their school campus,” Bhoyar stated.

The Minister reminded the House that under Section 27 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, teachers are legally obligated to perform three types of non-academic work, including decadal census, disaster relief duties and duties relating to local body, state, and parliamentary elections.

However, acknowledging the stress on the teaching community, Bhoyar announced that the government is considering new measures to streamline reporting. The Proposals include designating one Saturday a month specifically for administrative/non-academic reporting and exploring if reporting tasks can be shifted to local Setu (facilitation) centres to reduce the burden on teachers.

The Minister assured the House that a meeting would be convened with the Chief Minister and relevant stakeholders to find a permanent solution after calculating the financial implications of these shifts.

–IANS

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