Govt schools in city without computer teachers for over a month now

“We are still awaiting a communication from the UT education department about the renewal. It is learnt that the UT Administration needs to take permission for the same from the Ministry of Human Resource Development,” said V N Sharma,joint director DOEACC Centre Chandigarh. All these 250 contractual employees were provided by DOEACC.

When asked,the Director,Public Instructions (Schools),P K Sharma,said there must be some communication gap between the authorities. “Some of these computer teachers approached me also complaining the same. The department would make sure these teachers resume their work at the earliest,” he added.

For over a month,there has been no computer classes in all model and non-model government schools. Computer in these schools is taught as a subject and also under compulsory computer education from Class VI till XII. “It is shocking to see the laxity by the department. We are clueless as to what reply to give to the students as well as their parents who have been lamenting about studies being affected as the final exams are about to start. When we approach the department authorities we are asked to retain the teachers,which is not agreed upon by the teachers in the absence of renewal of their contract. Not only the studies are being affected,also the records maintained by the schools by data entry operators is not taken care of,” said one of the government school principals on the condition of anonymity.

“After waiting for more than a week for any communication from the Department on the renewal of our contract,we approached the authorities. We were assured that our contracts would be renewed soon and we should continue our services. Seeing the record of guest teachers who have been protesting repeatedly for their salaries,it is unquestionable that we should continue without any written instructions for the same,” said one of the contractual teachers.