Take measures to check physical, mental abuse of teachers: Education dept

The state education department on Friday asked all schools and district education officers to take pre-emptive steps to check physical harassment or emotional torture of teachers, especially in remote rural areas.

"It becomes our added responsibility to check physical harassment or emotional torture of such teachers. Instructions have been issued that in remote rural villages, efforts should be made not to post any women teachers and priority should be give to men teachers," Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka said.

He added: "If in a village primary school, one woman teacher was posted, it should be located in the aanganwari centre. In case such schools were far away from aanganwari centres, the village panchayat should be requested to shift the school to a suitable location. The woman teacher should not be asked to be in office before or after school timings for filling reports."

The guidelines added that no single woman teacher should be posted in such a school, which has only men teachers. It should also be ensured that members of management committees or panchayats do not pass any objectionable comments on women teachers and at the time of time of closing of the school, the principal and school management must ensure that youth do not harass women teachers. The minister also advised women teachers to report any case of physical or mental assault to the concerned officials.

Director General (School Education), Kahan Singh Pannu, said: "All block primary education officers have been asked to appoint a woman as a nodal officer, who will listen to the grievances of women teachers."

ALSO READ

Theatres in Punjab cancel 'Shootout at Wadala' shows

Rail traffic hit due to protests over Sajjan's acquittal

Family of 1971 POW awaits his return from Pak, fears for his life

Anti-Pakistan protests erupt in Sarabjit's native village