Computer teachers double as clerks

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Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 11

Contrary to the directions of the Director-General School Education (DGSE), computer teachers are performing clerical jobs in the absence of clerical staff in most government schools.

As per rules, these teachers are supposed to teach students in computer laboratories. Earlier, the DGSE had instructed schools not to involve computer teachers in non-academic work. Computer teachers are only responsible to receive official emails and deliver them to the school head.

However, the teachers are performing a number of non-academic works in schools, including collection, feeding and updating of data, making salary bills and all other work which is done through computers.

Gurvinder Singh, state president of the Computer Teacher Union, said: ?According to the guidelines of the department, computer teachers have to deliver 26 lecturers in a week. How can a teacher do non-academic work while teaching in classes. Our teachers are doing all the clerical work at schools. Everything these days is online, including stipend to students, salaries of teachers and other official communication.?

Jagtar Singh, General Manager, Information Communication Technology, said: "In the absence of clerical staff, the school authorities take the help of teachers to do computer-related work. Sometimes teachers type letters or send emails to the department. A letter has been issued to schools, instructing them to ask computer teachers to upload all the details of the school on its official website. Moreover, they have to download daily instructions from the official website of the department for swift communication between the department and schools. Being a specialised field, it is the duty of the teachers to help the school authorities in computer-related works.?

An exaggeration

Computer teachers are exaggerating the issue. They are drawing more than Rs 30,000 as salary, so they should do their work with enthusiasm. ? Jagtar Singh, General Manager,Information Communication Technology