All 18 teachers of a govt school in J&K suspended

Srinagar, Mar 26: All the 18 teachers of a government school here were suspended after they were found sitting in staffroom instead of taking classes during a surprise check.

Director of School Education in Kashmir Shah Faesal, who paid a surprise visit to the Government High School in Bemina yesterday, also found that students of classes IV and V were unable to "even write basic mathematical questions" let alone solve them.

"The school has 18 teachers and 110 children... Classes IV and V students could not even write basic mathematical questions like '25 divided by four', not to speak of solving it. All classes were vacant and all teachers were sitting in the staffroom," Faesal said here today.

All the 18 teachers of the school have been put under suspension and will only be reinstated upon improving learning levels of the students, he said.

"They (teachers) will be given salary only after discipline and learning levels of these children from poor families improve. "I refuse to believe that in a time when we are talking so much about reform, teachers continue to be so indifferent and callous. Is education department only for teachers, for transfers and promotions? Is our conscience dead, is there no shame left in us?" Faesal said.

The Director also said he found the school to be one of the "dirtiest" in Kashmir with garbage littered all over the place.

PTI