Teachers,don’t shirk responsibility! You are being watched

“The director recently called up some government schools in the state to check if any teacher was carrying cellphones in the classroom,how he/she teaches or whether the students understand the lesson or not. He also communicates with students over the phone,” said sources.

Talking to Newsline,Kumar said,“We have established a control room number — 6541673 — and welcome queries related to different projects being run by the SSA in Punjab. Whenever I get a complaint about improper working of a school teacher,I try to personally probe into the case.”

While acknowledging his inability to keep a daily track of developments,Kumar added,“Whenever I get time and find it necessary to get the right feedback,I make a call on my own.”

The move assumes significance as even after the government school teachers were recently prohibited from carrying cellphones in classrooms,a majority of them reportedly turned a deaf ear to the instructions.

Requesting anonymity,a government school teacher said,“It is not possible to keep away the cellphones.”

The parents,meanwhile,are a happy lot. A parent’s response: “Chalo masterji nu check karan wala koi tan aaya.” (I am happy that at last someone will maintain a check on teachers).

“The teachers,earlier,did not take classes,but now my children come back with homework,” said Nirmalkant,a father of two school going children.