Phek: Show cause notice to teachers for being absent from school

Kohima, August 9 (PTI): A village school management board (SMB) in Nagaland’s Phek district has issued show cause notice to eight teachers for being absent from duty since March end. SMB Thuvopisu in Phek district has issued ‘show cause notice’ to eight teachers, including the officiating headmaster, of a government school in the village to respond within 7 days for absence from duty since March-end . Chairman of SMB Thuvopisu Vesathu Dozo said: "as school management board we are concerned for the academic progress of our students and despite government standing orders directing the teachers to be present in place of posting, they are absent". "We issued the show cause notice because we do not want to put our students’ career at risk," he said. Concerned over the dilemma faced by students and parents in this remote village, the SMB and village authorities have purchased a projector to help students but in the absence of teachers it has become difficult to make it functional, he said.  On being contacted, Principal Director of School Education, Shanavas C said, "there is no holiday for the teachers. Definitely schools cannot run due to the pandemic but teachers have to be present at the place of posting and make notes and worksheets for distribution to the students".

Department has issued clear instructions to the government schools asking all teachers to be in station and help the students, and if the teachers are not present in the places of posting, there is nothing much wrong on SMB issuing a show cause notice to teachers". Teachers have to be in station so that the distant education continues amidst the lockdown as they have to make an entry in the Teachers’ Diary of whatever notes they have distributed to the students, which will be monitored by the department, he said.