Don’t engage government teachers in coaching centres: Govt warns coaching centres

Srinagar, Jan 15: Tightening noose around government teachers who indulge in private practice, authorities have directed private coaching centers in Srinagar not to allow any government teaching staffer as a faculty and warned of strict action in any case otherwise.
As per an order issued by Chief Education Officer Srinagar,  a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) says that “no teacher shall engage himself or herself in private tuition or private teaching activity”.
“The directions conveyed by Director School Education, Kashmir that all the Government teaching personnel are hereby directed not to engage in private tuition or private teaching activity, failing which action, as warranted under rules, shall be initiated against the erring teaching personnel,” the order reads.
It says that all the heads of private coaching centers are hereby put under strict instructions not to allow any government teaching personnel as faculty at the coaching center, failing which the registration of the coaching center shall be withdrawn or suspended with immediate effect and disciplinary action under the provisions of law shall be initiated against the management.
“All the DDOs are directed to submit certificate to the office of the Chief Education Officer Srinagar that none of the teaching faculty under their control is involved in private tuition or private teaching activity. The DDOs are advised to seek a similar undertaking from the concerned teaching faculty,” it reads.
Over the years, authorities have imposed ban on private tuitions by teachers serving in state government run schools, saying it amounts to “moral turpitude and is a serious violation of service conduct rules’’.
As per government services Act, government employees can’t indulge in private businesses like teaching in tuition centres or private clinic. However, there was hardly any implementation on the ground. Now it will be interesting if the authorities will be able to enforce the ban.
There are also reports from colleges and other universities, where their faculty members are involved in private practice which is a brazen violation of the rules.
“All these professors, assistant professors, get a monthly salary in the range between Rs 70,000 and 1,50,000. Few of them earn over a crore annually by teaching in coaching centres,” a senior faculty member of the Kashmir University said. “If they are so much interesting in teaching in coaching centres then why don’t they resign from government job and allow unemployed educated youth to work on those posts? They most of the times skip their duties thus affecting the academic curriculum in higher educational institutions,” the faculty member said.