Mumbai, February 24 (NationPress) The second day of the Maharashtra State Legislature's budget session ignited a fervent debate regarding the increasing burden of non-academic responsibilities placed on school teachers.

NCP member Vikram Kale presented a significant "Calling Attention" motion in the Legislative Council, shedding light on the distressing situation faced by educators who are being drawn away from their core teaching duties.

The discussion took an alarming twist when Kale accused the government of assigning teachers the task of "counting stray dogs," describing it as a severe affront to the teaching profession in a state that upholds the progressive values of Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar.

"We revere them as 'Acharya' (honored teachers) and grant them a place of respect, yet we are asking them to count dogs? Whether it’s for election duties, updating voter lists, or even counting toilets, the government always turns to teachers instead of utilizing other personnel," Kale contended.

He further underscored the operational crisis prevailing in schools.

He provided an example where 45 out of 60 teachers in one school were assigned to Zilla Parishad election responsibilities, leaving merely 15 teachers to oversee 2,000 students. He claimed that when teachers express their grievances, District Collectors often threaten them with legal repercussions.

In response to these claims, Minister of State Pankaj Bhoyar clarified that the government has not officially instructed teachers to conduct a "dog census."

According to the Minister, the guidance stemmed from a Supreme Court ruling concerning public safety and hygiene. The directives given to schools were aimed at maintaining clean educational environments, ensuring adequate fencing to deter stray animals, and appropriately disposing of food waste to prevent attracting stray dogs.

"No teacher has been directed to count dogs. We are merely requesting them to guarantee a safe and hygienic atmosphere within their school grounds," Bhoyar stated.

The Minister reminded the assembly that under Section 27 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, teachers are legally required to engage in three types of non-academic tasks, including decadal census activities, disaster relief efforts, and duties related to local, state, and parliamentary elections.

However, acknowledging the pressures faced by the teaching community, Bhoyar announced that the government is exploring new strategies to simplify reporting. Proposed measures include designating one Saturday a month specifically for administrative/non-academic tasks and evaluating the possibility of transferring reporting duties to local Setu (facilitation) centres to alleviate the workload on teachers.

The Minister assured the assembly that a meeting would be convened with the Chief Minister and relevant stakeholders to identify a long-term solution after assessing the financial implications of these proposed changes.