The headmaster asked several teachers whether they engage in home tutoring. Fourteen teachers at Jalpaiguri District School have been served show-cause notices. The teachers have come under scrutiny following an RTI filed by a home tutor. However, according to school sources, they have not responded within the stipulated time. Government school teachers are not allowed to engage in home tutoring or private tuition as per rules. Despite such prohibitions, many teachers teach students outside school. Home tutors' organizations have been waging a legal battle against this for a long time. Due to their efforts, teachers at Jalpaiguri District School have come under question.
School headmaster Dharmachand Barai has served notices to 14 teachers of his institution. A home tutor named Shatadru Roy filed an RTI seeking to know who engages in home tutoring. He holds the position of district executive president of the All India Home Tutors Organization. Following Shatadru's RTI, the State Public Information Officer from the district magistrate's office sent a letter to Jalpaiguri District School.
They inquired whether the teachers of this school are involved in home tutoring. Based on this, the headmaster served notices to the teachers. Controversies over home tutoring surface from time to time. No permanent arrangement has ever been made regarding this. The West Bengal Home Tutors Welfare Society has been conducting a movement on this issue for several years.
Shatadru says, "Government or government-aided school teachers cannot engage in home tutoring under any circumstances. But many teachers are not following this rule. Last September, I filed complaints against several teachers of the district school with evidence. Written complaints were submitted to Jalpaiguri district administration, high school inspector and the state education department."
Shatadru claims that no action was taken even after filing complaints. The matter was also brought to the attention of school authorities. The school also did not intervene. About three years ago, another organization filed a case in Calcutta High Court regarding private tuition by school teachers.
Shatadru says, "Then Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed that no school teacher can engage in home tutoring. But even after that, the High Court's directive is being violated. This is why I filed an RTI to know whether district school teachers engage in home tutoring. Whether any undertaking has been taken from them in this regard."
District school headmaster Dharmachand Barai informed that on December 10, the district magistrate's office sent a letter inquiring about the matter. He says, "Government or government-aided school teachers cannot be involved in home tutoring. After receiving the letter from the district magistrate's office, notices were issued to 14 teachers on December 31. Responses were sought within three days. But so far, not everyone has replied to the letter."
Umesh Sharma, former teacher of Jalpaiguri Sonaulla High School and historian, says, "This directive is not from today. It has been there for more than two decades. In our time too, we had to give undertakings. Even after this, those who continue to engage in home tutoring are ignoring government directives."
