Himachal Education Minister Warns of Action Against Schools With Poor Results

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) :In a decisive move to fix accountability and improve educational standards, the Himachal Pradesh Education Department has decided to initiate strict measures against government school teachers and heads where student performance in board examinations has been dismal particularly where results have remained between 0% and 25%.

The state government has now made it clear that in such schools, not only will transfers of teachers be ensured, but their annual increments may also be withheld, and disciplinary action could be taken against principals and headmasters.

On the other hand, teachers and schools that have demonstrated commendable results will be encouraged and rewarded for their performance.

The decision was taken during a high-level review meeting held late Tuesday evening. The meeting was chaired by Education Minister Rohit Thakur, who later spoke to ANI about the outcome of the discussions.

"We have decided that we will now hold monthly meetings in which Deputy Directors will present their reports. After a long time, we have asked Deputy Directors to report on the work they are doing on the ground. The meeting also reviewed whether our policies, programs, and resolutions are yielding results on the ground," said Thakur.

Focusing specifically on the recent board exam results, the minister said the government was deeply concerned about schools where students have underperformed.

"Where results have remained between 0 to 25%, we have decided that accountability of the concerned staff and teachers will be fixed. We will further tighten this process, especially in schools where the full teaching staff was present, yet the performance was disappointing," said the minister.

Thakur pointed out the example of a school in the urban area of Theog, where there was no staff shortage, yet the exam results were poor."This was a serious lapse. Accountability of teachers will be fixed," he stated.

He added that in such cases, the government will not only consider transfers but also stop increments, and appropriate action will be taken against the principals and headmasters responsible. Simultaneously, teachers with good performance will be appreciated and rewarded to boost their morale.

"We want to encourage good performers and create an environment where better educational outcomes are achieved," Thakur emphasized.

The meeting also discussed the rationalization of staff across schools. Thakur acknowledged that a previous list issued for this purpose had to be withdrawn after objections were raised from various quarters.

He said Deputy Directors will now assess where schools have additional or surplus teaching staff and where there is a shortage. This, he said, will help in the effective deployment of resources.

"In districts like Chamba, where there is a shortage of staff, transfers will be done from schools where there is a surplus. We want to ensure optimal use of available manpower," Thakur said.

Another key area of focus was zero-enrollment schools where there were no students at all. The minister said that around 1,200 schools have been merged across the state so far. Of these, 402 were merged immediately, while the decision on nearly 600 more schools is pending at the level of the Chief Minister and is expected soon.

"Even in my constituency, 30 to 40 schools have been closed," the minister said.

He added that many teachers are currently posted at locations where there hasn't been a single student enrolled in the last two years.

"We have noticed this just yesterday, some places where teachers have been posted for two years, and there is not a single student. While the transfer process is time-consuming, we are working to post such teachers in schools where students are present. This is the purpose behind rationalization," he said.

The Directorate has been asked to submit full details of such zero-enrollment schools, and the Education Department will fix accountability accordingly.

"Where there are subject teachers but no students, those teachers will be transferred to places where they are needed. We are fixing accountability," said Thakur.

The meeting also featured a presentation by meritorious students, and it was decided that such students would be appreciated and rewarded in a time-bound manner. Instructions have been issued to all district officers to implement the decisions without delay.

"While work culture is already being addressed, fixing accountability is now a must. Poor results will lead to transfers. But we are also exploring other disciplinary measures such as stopping increments or taking action against school heads," Thakur added.

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