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Guwahati, Jan. 8: The Assam High School Teachers’ Association has backed education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on his decision to offer voluntary retirement to teachers who are not sincere.
Sarma yesterday said teachers, who lacked sincerity in ensuring smooth conduct of the matric and Assam high madarsa examinations, would have to accept the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS).
Addressing a meeting of the additional deputy commissioners, inspectors of schools and headmasters of district in the city, the minister said VRS would be offered to the erring teachers within 72 hours to set a precedent in the state.
Rajen Sarma, general secretary of the high school teachers’ association, told The Telegraph that for callous attitude of a section of teachers and officials, which resulted in a series of mistakes and irregularities during the matric examinations in 2012, the image of the entire teaching community has been maligned.
He said the goof-ups had deeply tarnished the reputation of a noble profession like teaching.
“There are many sincere and dedicated teachers in the state and they should not face any criticism for a section of black sheep in their profession. Any teacher who does not perform his examination and evaluation duties must be punished. No teacher has the right to play with the academic career of students. The association supports the punitive actions announced by the education minister,” Sarma said.
The matric examinations, conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam, was steeped in controversies in 2012 — right from a question paper goof-up to a cow chewing up answer scripts in Goalpara district.
Nearly four lakh students will appear in the matric and high madarsa examinations from February 18.
The high school teachers’ association has appealed to all its members to perform their examination and evaluation jobs with all sincerity and dedication.
A headmaster of a city-based high school, however, said even though there are insincere teachers, it is also a fact that the Seba has also several loopholes, which affects the way of smooth conduct of the matric exams.
“The education minister should not also spare the Seba officials. In the recent months, there were reports and allegations of a power tussle between the chairman and secretary of the board. Such developments will not go down well with the secondary education system in the state,” the headmaster said.
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