Don't make teachers supervise kids in buses, canteens: CBSE

Nov 02 2016 : The Times of India (NaviMumbai)

Don't make teachers supervise kids in buses, canteens: CBSE

Abhishek Choudhari





Teachers in CBSE schools can henceforth focus on teaching without getting bogged down in other duties like supervising students in buses, canteens or common areas like corridors. The central board has told all affiliated schools to ensure that teachers are not such duties any more. The board has amended its guidelines for `manpower on bus' and made it clear teachers cannot be asked to stay on the bus throughout the journey for supervising students.
According to the new guidelines, schools have to ensure that a woman guard or attendant has to be present in the school bus “keeping in view the safety of the school students all throughout the journey“.
A school principal in Nagpur, who did not wish to be named, said, “The nomenclature may change but every school appoints teachers as route incharge. Almost always, her stop is either the last, or second last on the route. This ensures that school students are under the supervision of a teacher at all times in bus. The bus contractor also appoints a woman attendant in most buses.“
Every bus has anywhere between one and four teachers travelling in the bus. Another principal said, “RTO allows only up to four teachers in the bus as passengers, as the transport vehicle is primarily for students and gets a heavy road tax subsidy . So basically these teachers are just travelling back home but we plan the route in such a way that the supervisor teacher alights at the last stop.“
Another task that teachers handle is supervising canteens or common areas like corridors and playgrounds during recess. CBSE has asked schools to stop that saying, “for activities of ministerial nature, transport or canteen for similar related tasks, separate trained staff may be deployed by school“. A principal said supervising children during break time is essential to avoid untoward incidents. “Children can get into fights and things can go out of hand fast. A lot of schools balance the workload by cutting down on the teaching hours for such teachers, so no one can complain,“ said another teacher.
When schools resume postDiwali vacations they will have to implement the new rules. A principal said, “The ground reality is different. So, we will have to work around it. All it takes for the school to be made into a villain is one accident on the bus or one ruckus in the canteen.“