Teachers barred from political activities

SHILLONG: The state government has banned teachers of government and government aided schools, colleges and universities from taking part in political activities and associations.
The new education policy adopted and notified by the government after the Cabinet nod on September 21 highlights that school and college teachers are barred from political activities.
“So far as education is concerned, schools should be kept free from politics. For this purpose, government and government aided school teachers will be barred from taking part in political activities and political associations,” the policy said.
Similarly, the policy said, “Government and government aided college/university teachers will be barred from taking part in political activities and political associations”. The decision is part of the regulation of higher education institutions. The policy also says the state will intervene to prevent commercialisation of education and protect the interests of the student community while protecting the autonomy of institutions.
Four categories
The government will streamline the existing categories of schools and classify them into government, government aided, partially aided and private schools only.
The rationalisation of schools through the merging of small schools and creation of composite schools will continue, the policy said.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) will be used to provide insight into current patterns of school location in relation to habitations.
“All government run public schools (including special schools) will be brought within the jurisdiction of Directorate of School Education and Literacy,” the policy said.
Government aided and partially aided schools will be run and managed by School Managing Committees. Further, they will also take responsibility for the welfare and post-retirement benefits of teachers.
School social audit system
A transparent system of quality assurance will be put in place and to increase transparency, the state will introduce a suitable school social audit mechanism.
Village Education Committees will be strengthened and revived, the policy said. Block Resource Centres (BRCs) and Cluster
Resource Centres (CRCs) will be strengthened to support the implementation of all decentralised educational programmes in the state, the policy added.
Regulation of fees, no bullying
A legislation will also be made for regulation and fixing of fees in higher educational institutions.
As far as elementary education is concerned, the policy said a zero tolerance approach will be adopted to ensure that no learner is subjected to physical punishment, bullying, mental harassment, gender discrimination and violence in schools.
Under governance and management of school institutions, the education policy said the state will ensure monitoring of quality of education in all government and government aided schools through self and external monitoring.
Private schools
“The government will regulate private schools so that the procedure for recognition is made transparent and norm based,” the policy said.
The state will also put in place a framework to regulate and monitor private schools, the policy said.
The government will allow the establishment of new elementary schools on the condition that they comply with RTE norms and the existing elementary schools should ensure RTE compliance.
Setting-up new secondary schools at will follow the norms and standards prescribed by the government duly notified from time to time.
To improve the schooling system, the government will take appropriate steps for the capacity building of heads of the institutions, streamlining of recruitment and professional development of teachers.