Port Blair, April 6: The National Student's Union of India State President, A&N Islands Mr. M.A Sajid on Thursday highlighted the issue of deployment of Government teachers in Clerical posts at Directorate of Education, A&N Islands.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, Mr. Sajid said, "Despite a massive shortage of teachers in the government schools of A&N Islands, a huge number of teaching staffs have been deployed as clerks at different sections of Directorate of Education such as SPO, Legal, CCB, Scout and Guide, SI Principal, IT etc. thereby affecting the learning processes of the students studying in government schools".

"Teachers are not supposed to do clerical jobs but unfortunately in A&N Islands all the clerical jobs are done by the teachers. The deployment of teachers as clerks is a clear violation of Section 27 of RTE Act, 2009 which prohibits teachers from non-teaching works", he added.

“These teachers are highly qualified as most of them are PST, PGT and GTT. When there is an acute shortage of teachers in our islands these teachers should be transferred to different schools of our Islands for teaching instead of making them work as Clerks” Mr. Sajid alleged.

He criticized that the teachers who were supposed to get a Grade Pay of approx 4600 are forced to work at the Grade Pay of 1900 which is a grave injustice done to them.

He exhorted that "Right to Education has been made a fundamental right and it is incumbent upon the Administration/Government to provide better education. Therefore, the teachers cannot be placed on clerical deployment against their respective original posts.

Mr. Sajid urged the Chief Secretary to send back all the teachers who are working on Clerical deputation in Directorate of Education, A&N Islands to their original schools of posting and in future not to put them on deputation for any non-teaching job.