The Maharashtra State Legislature’s budget session’s second day sparked a debate on the increasing non-academic responsibilities burdening school teachers. NCP legislator Vikram Kale raised concerns over educators being diverted from teaching to tasks like counting stray dogs, which he deemed a disrespect to the teaching profession. This issue escalated as Kale criticized the government for frequently assigning non-teaching duties to teachers, affecting their primary role.
The debate intensified with Kale highlighting a case where the majority of teachers in a school were assigned election duties, leaving a limited number to manage a large student population. He also mentioned teachers facing threats of legal action when expressing concerns. Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar responded by clarifying that teachers were not officially tasked with a “dog census” but were instructed to maintain cleanliness and safety on school premises as per a Supreme Court order.
Bhoyar explained that teachers are mandated by the Right to Education Act to perform certain non-academic duties, including disaster relief and election-related tasks. To address the challenges faced by teachers, the government is considering measures such as dedicating one Saturday a month for administrative reporting and exploring the possibility of shifting reporting tasks to local facilitation centers. Bhoyar assured the legislature of convening a meeting with the Chief Minister and stakeholders to devise a long-term solution after assessing the financial implications of these changes.
