📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Harvinder Chandigarh
Education
Punjab Education Secretary Bars Non‑Academic Duties for Teachers, Orders DCs
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 25 Sep 2026, 07:09 AM
👁 18
The Punjab education secretary has issued a directive to district commissioners, prohibiting teachers from being assigned any non‑academic responsibilities.
Punjab's education secretary has sent a formal order to all district commissioners, stating that teachers must not be tasked with duties unrelated to their core academic role. The circular emphasizes that educators should focus solely on teaching, curriculum delivery, and student assessment, without being diverted to ancillary tasks such as campus maintenance, security or administrative errands.
The directive comes amid growing concerns that teachers' workload has expanded beyond classroom responsibilities, potentially affecting the quality of instruction. By restricting non‑academic assignments, the education department aims to streamline teachers' schedules and improve learning outcomes across the state.
District commissioners have been instructed to ensure compliance within their jurisdictions and to communicate the policy to school principals and staff. The education secretary warned that any deviation from the order would be treated as a breach of administrative protocol.
While the order does not specify penalties, officials indicated that regular monitoring will be undertaken to verify that schools adhere to the new guidelines. The move reflects a broader effort by the state government to prioritize education and support teachers in delivering effective instruction.
The directive comes amid growing concerns that teachers' workload has expanded beyond classroom responsibilities, potentially affecting the quality of instruction. By restricting non‑academic assignments, the education department aims to streamline teachers' schedules and improve learning outcomes across the state.
District commissioners have been instructed to ensure compliance within their jurisdictions and to communicate the policy to school principals and staff. The education secretary warned that any deviation from the order would be treated as a breach of administrative protocol.
While the order does not specify penalties, officials indicated that regular monitoring will be undertaken to verify that schools adhere to the new guidelines. The move reflects a broader effort by the state government to prioritize education and support teachers in delivering effective instruction.