CCL casts a shadow on students' performance: Heads of schools

‘Dispur using students and teachers as bums on empty seats in government functions also affects classes’

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 31: It’s cutting classes, not by students but by female teachers in accordance with the rules set for them, that has much to do in the poor performance of government schools in Kamrup(M), feel most of the heads of the institutions.

The government schools in Kamrup(M) have performed very poorly in the HSLC examition, the result of which was declared today. When compared, rural districts have performed better than their metro counterparts. The development, however, is not without any valid reasons, feels a section of headmasters and principals of the schools.

A section of principals of government schools says: “The male-female ratio of teachers in government schools is lopsided, female teachers outnumbering their male counterparts. Take case of Cotton Collegiate Government HS School in the city. This is the oldest school in the Northeast. Thirty of the 37 teachers of the school are females who have the right to avail maternity leaves (ML) and child care leaves (CCL), besides regular leaves that are common for both males and female teachers. When female teachers avail their CCL, classes are affected. Since CCL is allowed for female teachers till the attainment of 18 years of age of their children, female teachers, as often as not, avail CCL when their children take HSLC or HS fil examitions, besides taking maternity leave of six months. When the principals or headmasters refuse to grant CCL, in most of the cases, the teachers come equipped with recommendations from higher-ups in the Education Department by virtue of their husbands being influential people. The CCL should be allowed till the attainment of seven/eight years of children, instead of 18 year. The case is different in rural districts where the male-female ratio of teachers is almost equal or lopsided towards males.”

The heads of government institutions also blame it on NRC update works for the poor performance of students from their schools in the HSLC examition. “Our teachers are engaged in NRC update works and other works like census. This apart, when there are government programmes students and teachers of government schools are asked to go there. If for nothing else, the government wants some bums on empty seats,” said a section of heads of government schools, and added: “NGOs working in tandem with the government also do take our students to attend their programmes.”

The private schools in the city also have something tangible that lead to their poor performance in examitions. A survey by The Sentinel has revealed the fact that many schools which were famous for good performance in HSLC examitions have shifted to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) from the SEBA.         

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