Heads of Govt schools with poor pass percentage to lose salary, increment

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 25: Taking serious cognizance of poor performance of some Government run schools during the academic session 2017-18, Education Minister Choudhary Zulfkar Ali has sought stern action against Head of the institutions, whose result percentage in the class 10th and 12th exams was below 30.
“Besides immediate stoppage of annual increment as well as salary of the heads of such institutions with less than requisite pass percentage, the erring Headmasters and Principals will also be terminated from the Government services if results are not improved in the next academic session,” the Education Minister told the Excelsior.
He further informed that punitive action like termination of services has been planned in view of the fact that some teachers take suspension as a blessing in disguise as in maximum cases they get reinstated after a few years without monitory loss.
A decision for stern action was taken after a series of meetings by Choudhary Zulfkar with both the Directors of School Education, Chief Education Officers and others in the School Education Department.
Following instruction of the Minister, official sources informed that all the Chief Education Officers in Jammu division have set the process into motion in this regard. Data is being collected for identification of the schools with less than 30 percent result while heads of such institutions are being asked to give the reasons as to why they failed to give a satisfactory performance, sources added.
Such a notice, issued today by the CEO office Jammu to the Headmasters, read, “It has come to the notice of the undersigned that during the Academic Session 2017-18, the result of 10th class has given a very shocking impression, which is highly deplorable and there is a considerable number of the High Schools having the result percentage below 30 in Jammu district. In the backdrop of the present scenario why not a stern action is warranted against defaulting Head of Institutions. They are asked to give reasons as to why despite the various sincere efforts for improving the overall result percentage, nothing substantial could be reflected.”
A similar communiqué is being issued to the Principals of Higher Secondary Schools seeking the reason behind poor pass percentage in class 10th and 12th exam results, declared recently.
Each CEO has also constituted a committee, consisting of the Deputy CEO, DEPO and concerned ZEOs, who will conduct the enquiry in the matter and submit their report very shortly, sources further informed and added that the Minister has sought early compilation of the report for action against the erring Headmasters and the Principals.
Pertinent to mention that despite tall claims of the Government for improving academic standard in the State run schools, the results of class 10th and 12th annual examinations register poor pass percentage, particularly in comparison to the private schools.
This year, the overall pass percentage of class 10th and 12th exams results in Summer Zone schools was 55 and 58, respectively. However, the pass percentage of Government run schools was far less than the private schools.
In class 10th, the pass percentage of Government run schools was only 40.49, which was 81.79 in case of private schools. Notwithstanding the fact that Jammu has highest number of surplus Masters, pass percentage in this district was lowest after Reasi.
According to the Education Minister, the Government is committed for extending all facilities to State run schools and its teachers but with an accountability. The proposed punitive action is exemplary and we will not hesitate in more such moves if academic standard is not improved in the Government schools, he added.

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