Gurdaspur, Oct 4: The Gurdaspur district administration on Friday withdrew its earlier order deploying over 400 teachers to monitor paddy stubble burning, after criticism from teachers’ unions and intervention by higher authorities.
Deputy Commissioner Dalwinder Singh confirmed the rollback, saying, “We have decided to withdraw our earlier orders.” The decision followed objections that the move violated the state government’s repeated assurances that teachers would not be assigned non-teaching duties.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has consistently stated that teachers should focus solely on teaching. “Teachers are meant to teach students and no other duty should be assigned to them,” he had said earlier. Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has also maintained that such postings “affect the studies of children.”
The withdrawn orders, issued last week, had directed teachers to check stubble burning from September 26 to November 30—a move that drew sharp opposition from the teaching community. Sources said the Secretary (Education) took cognizance of media reports and instructed officials to immediately rescind the directive.
Welcoming the decision, Amanbir Singh Goraya, co-convener of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, said, “Teachers are a relieved lot. We are paid to teach students, and checking stubble burning is out of our job description. I am thankful to the officials who took back the orders.” Goraya had been leading the teachers’ protests on the issue.
The controversy had been building up, with several teachers’ unions threatening statewide demonstrations if the administration did not withdraw the duties. “We were taken aback when we heard about the orders,” said Prabhjit Singh Bajwa, a teacher from Batala. “The CM has always assured us that we are here to impart education. The DC’s latest decision is a huge relief for us.”
A school principal noted that assigning teachers non-teaching work “severely impacts efficacy and student learning.” The added workload, he said, leads to “stress, burnout, and reduced job satisfaction.”
Teachers across the district said they were worried about missing classes for nearly two months if the orders had not been withdrawn. The reversal, they said, would ensure that classroom learning continues uninterrupted through the harvest season.
