The Himachal Pradesh government is exempting science and math teachers in government schools from all non-teaching duties. The move is aimed at improving the academic performance, which has been declining over the past few years.
The Himachal Pradesh Education Department has announced the decision of the government exempting science and math teachers so that studies of students were not affected.
The teachers of TGT-medical and non-medical (science and mathematics) will now focus exclusively on classroom teaching, free from tasks like preparing administrative reports, managing mid-day meals, recording online attendance and other non-academic responsibilities.
Won’t participate in tournaments, educational tours
The science and math teachers will also be restricted from participating in tournaments or educational tours without departmental permission. The decision has been officially communicated to schools across the state.
The non-teaching responsibilities will be assigned to teachers in other disciplines, including C&V, drawing, TGT-arts, shastri, and PET. The directive is a response to the department’s concerns over falling test scores, which are negatively affecting the state’s ranking in national education assessments.
A senior official of the Elementary Education Department confirmed the policy shift, saying, “Our mathematics and science teachers will focus solely on educational tasks and provide additional support through extra classes during free periods. This move aims to strengthen students’ grasp on these critical subjects without the distraction of administrative duties,” he said.
Other teachers worried about ‘extra workload’
The decision by the government exempting science, math teachers, however, has sparked mixed reactions among teachers. While many view it as a necessary step to boost academic performance in crucial subjects, others are concerned about the additional workload on non-science and non-mathematics staff, who must now take on a greater share of administrative and extracurricular responsibilities.
