Over 340 teachers from the Education Department in Phagwara block have been assigned duties for a drug survey and social and economic survey, leading to concerns that their absence from schools for nearly a month will adversely affect students, especially those from economically weaker sections. A delegation from the Joint Teachers and Employees Forum, Phagwara, met Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Navjot Sharma on June 25, 2026, to raise these issues.
Delegation led by forum leaders
The delegation was led by Satwant Toora, Satnam Randhawa, Jasbir Saini, Daljit Singh, Jasbir Bhangoo, and Varinder Sharma. They presented their case before the SDM, highlighting that since the beginning of the new academic session, teachers have repeatedly been assigned non-teaching duties. These duties include the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise conducted door-to-door by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), which would keep thousands of employees away from schools for nearly a month.
According to the forum leaders, teachers had recently completed duties related to the first phase of the Census, municipal elections, and vote counting. They expressed resentment over the continuous allocation of such responsibilities, stating that they were now being burdened with additional assignments like the drug survey and social and economic survey.
Impact on student education
The teachers emphasised that teaching is their primary responsibility and urged the administration to ensure that the burden of non-academic work is not placed solely on teachers. They requested that such duties be distributed among employees of other government departments so that students' education does not suffer. The delegation pointed out that the state government's SIR exercise, which involves door-to-door visits, would further reduce classroom time.
SDM resolves issue on the spot
After hearing the concerns, SDM Phagwara Navjot Sharma immediately agreed with the teachers' genuine demands and resolved the issue on the spot. She assured the delegation that only those teachers who voluntarily consent to participate in the drug survey and social and economic survey would be assigned such duties. This decision was welcomed by the forum representatives, who thanked the SDM for addressing their concerns promptly.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, and the Joint Teachers and Employees Forum expressed gratitude for the swift resolution. The development is expected to relieve teachers from forced non-academic duties, allowing them to focus on their core responsibility of educating students.
