Minister for School Education, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali, today called for making a conducive and stress-free working environment for the teachers to improve the academic scenario in the State.The Minister expressed these views in an informal interaction with employees, after inaugurating the renovated Additional Block at the Directorate of School Education Kashmir. The block was renovated at the cost of Rs 1.15 crore.Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development, Social welfare, Health & Medical Education, Power Development and Industries & Commerce Asiea Naqash, Legislator, Noor Mohammed Sheikh, Advocate Mohammad Yousuf & Aijaz Ahmad Mir, Secretary School Education Farooq Ahmad Shah, Director School Education Kashmir Dr G N Itoo, Director RAMSA Tufail Matoo, Director SSA A R War were and other officers of the School Education Department were present on the occasion.Appreciating the staff of the Education Department, the Minister said that he is well aware of the hard yards the employees are putting in to deliver their duties. However, there is always scope for improvement, he added.The Minister explained that by making a teacher to visit the directorate office frequently only to get his due work done, eventually affects the education of the students in his designated school. He said this is what needs to be curtailed to almost zero level.
Zulfkar said the concerned officers and their subordinates, especially clerks can greatly help in reducing the stress of the teachers by ensuring that their service incentives in the shape of annual increments, timely promotions-in-setu promotion, leave sanctions, awards for exemplary services are done in a fair and time-bound manner.He attributed clerks as the powerful tool of the system. He said it is a clerk who is the base of any work as it is they who start and prepare a file which eventually reaches to highest offices for final approval.Reiterating the need for adopting a positive approach, the Minister said it is the positive approach towards life and work which helps in benefiting others in a good manner.He urged upon the concerned for wide publicity of the departmental grievance portal and toll-free 24/7 number, so that people could be kept in the loop with all the latest developments happening in the department.On the occasion, the Minister also informed that he has directed the Secretary School Education Department to remain available from 9 am to 5 pm in the directorate office every Thursday to sort out genuine issues of the visitors there.Attributing managing of human resource a challenge, the Minister said the education department has a huge human resource and managing it efficiently is in itself a great achievement. “I believe de-centralization of power can greatly reduce the time taken to resolve the genuine issues of the concerned. I am up for empowering my Chief Education Officers, Zonal Educational Officers so that the issues related to employees, primarily teachers and parents are resolved easily,” the Minister explained.Earlier, Zulfkar did the online inauguration of 24 projects worth around Rs 12 crore, which were completed under SSA, RAMSA, and State Capex budget. The works included 10 school buildings, seven additional accommodations, three additional class rooms, one science laboratory, one examination hall, and one pre-fabricated hut.