• Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains instructs Chief Secretary to issue strict directions ensuring teachers are not assigned non-academic work
• “Teachers belong in classrooms, not in clerical or administrative roles,” says Bains
Chandigarh, October 4
In a firm step to uphold the sanctity of classroom learning, Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Bains has directed the Chief Secretary to immediately end the practice of assigning government school teachers to non-teaching or routine administrative duties.
Expressing serious concern over reports of teachers being diverted from teaching to perform clerical tasks in various districts, the Minister described this as a grave disservice to both educators and students. He emphasized that teaching must remain their foremost responsibility.
In his letter to the Chief Secretary, Bains wrote, “Teachers are not ordinary government employees—they are torchbearers of knowledge and character, entrusted with the sacred duty of shaping the future of Punjab. Pulling them out of classrooms to perform unrelated administrative work is an injustice not only to them but to our children, whose Right to Education is compromised.”
Bains cited Section 27 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which clearly prohibits the deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes, except in special cases such as census, disaster relief, or elections. “This law was framed with great foresight—to protect classroom teaching time, which forms the foundation of any progressive society,” he noted.
While acknowledging that certain urgent government duties may occasionally arise, Bains stressed that teachers must not be treated as default administrative staff. “Their presence in the classroom is non-negotiable,” he asserted.
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The Minister has instructed the Chief Secretary to issue categorical directions to all departments and district administrations, ensuring that teachers are not assigned any non-teaching work beyond what is explicitly permitted under the RTE Act. In rare, unavoidable circumstances, prior written approval from the Department of School Education must be obtained.
Reaffirming the Punjab government’s commitment to quality education under Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Bains said this directive is part of the state’s broader mission to strengthen the education system and guarantee every child uninterrupted learning in the classroom.
