5,000 MP Govt School Teachers Remain Attached To Offices

In Madhya Pradesh, a significant number of government school teachers, over 5,000, are still attached to various government offices, despite directives from the Commissioner of Public Instructions and district administrations to return to their teaching duties. This has resulted in schools facing staff shortages, as these teachers have spent years on administrative attachments instead of teaching in classrooms.

The School Education Department has been facing pressure to recall these teachers, but the exercise has encountered resistance in several districts. Departmental sources claim that some collectors and senior administrative officials have shown little interest in ending the attachments, slowing the implementation of the government's directive.

The department had initially directed 213 attached teachers from different districts to return to their original schools and later instructed all district education officers to identify and recall more attached teachers in their respective districts. While some districts, including Bhopal, have initiated action, a large number of teachers remain posted in the State Secretariat, offices of MLAs, collectors, SDMs, and other government institutions.

For instance, Shivani Yadav is attached to the school education department in the Secretariat, while Manish Sharma is attached to the department's legal cell. Similarly, Saubhag Singh Patel, an assistant teacher, has been serving as personal secretary to Bahoriband MLA since August 2024. Anand Kumar Shrivastava, a lecturer, has been attached to the Tendukheda MLA's office since August 2024.

In the school education minister's home district, Narsinghpur, teachers continue to serve in Bhopal institutions. Rajeshwar Nath Pathak, a lecturer, has been attached to the Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation, Bhopal, since June 2009. Purushottam Prasad Tiwari, a lecturer, has been attached to the Maharshi Patanjali Sanskrit Institute, Bhopal, since January 2022.

In Bhopal, the DEO issued an order on July 7, relieving 47 teachers to return to their original postings. However, only 11 of them joined their schools. The Collector's office then issued an order on July 16, but the situation remains unchanged.

The practice of attaching teachers to government offices has been prevalent for years, and it has resulted in a significant shortage of teachers in schools. The recall exercise is aimed at addressing this issue, but its slow implementation has raised concerns about the commitment of the authorities to improve the education system in the state.

The situation highlights the need for effective implementation of the government's directives and the importance of deploying teachers in schools where they are needed the most. The state government must take concrete steps to address the issue and ensure that teachers are posted in schools, rather than being attached to government offices.

In conclusion, the presence of over 5,000 government school teachers in administrative attachments, rather than teaching in classrooms, is a matter of concern. The state government must take urgent action to recall these teachers and deploy them in schools, where they can contribute to the education of students. This will not only address the staff shortage in schools but also improve the overall quality of education in the state.