Image: Livemint
The Centre is considering to deal with the problem of teachers remaining absent from duty and sending proxies to do the job with adorning school walls with pictures of teachers. Nonattendance among teachers, assisted by use of proxies, has for long affecting the education in government schools, especially in rural areas.
“Many states are working on various ideas to check teachers’ absenteeism from schools. Rajasthan has done something very interesting, putting photographs of teachers on school walls with ‘our respected teachers’ written under them,” HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said in Parliament.
“Now, these are just photos of teachers in schools and not those of criminals in police stations, so nobody will have any problem. This idea can be replicated in other states as well,” he said.
As per ministry sources, the government is keen on replicating the idea, especially in rural areas where teachers don’t come to school for days but take hefty salaries.
“When there are photographs of teachers in schools, students and school administration will at least know the real teachers and fake ones. It should not be difficult for schools to implement the idea. Even if there are 10-15 teachers in a school, the photos won’t take much space,” said an official.
“Writing our respected teachers under the photographs will also evoke a sense of respect for them among students,” he added.
“The photographs will make the guardians aware of the identity of teachers. Thus, they will be in a position to raise an alarm if a teacher plays truant,” said an official.