Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 24: A school teacher has been suspended by the Chief Education Officer Pulwama for raising the issues of his school in a remote tribal area where children suffer for lack of proper infrastructure.
Instead of encouraging him for raising the issues faced by the students of the tribal area, Zakir Hussain, a young teacher at High School Machhama has been suspended from the services for raising the issues of his school with the Daily Excelsior. ” Zakir Hussain who is placed under suspension is advised to report UPS Inderwali Zone Shadimarg for further duties,” reads the order issued by the CEO, Pulwama, Naseem Ul Gani.
On 22nd June, when a team of Daily Excelsior visited the School Zakir highlighted the issues of his school. However, a day after the story appeared on the newspaper the concerned CEO handed over a suspension order instead of encouraging him. Not only this but some of the senior officials’ also hurled invectives against the teacher and that has taken a toll on his psyche.
On 22nd June he told Excelsior that inadequate space affects the quality of education. “We have just three rooms for nine classes. We have to engage 3, 4 classes under open sky every day. Sometimes we run three-four classes together which affect the class work. We have 44 students in 9th class only,” he had stated.
When contacted, Chief Education Officer Pulwama, Naseem Ul Gani said that he has not issued the basic order and initiated an inquiry into the matter after receiving the complaint from the School headmaster.
“I have not issued the basic order and we will come to know about the reason of suspension after the inquiry report. We have asked the inquiry team to submit the report in a week. Till then, we have to keep him somewhere within the district. There is no known allegation so far,” he said.
Established in 1943, the school caters to the several tribal villages and students with the weaker economic background are enrolled in the school.
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