Addresses Teachers Convention at Srinagar
Minister for School Education, Higher Education and Social Welfare, Sakeena Masood Itoo, today reaffirmed the, assuring that all genuine issues and long-pending concerns of teachers would be examined sympathetically and addressed on priority.
The Minister made these remarks while addressing a one-day Teachers' Convention organised by the Jammu & Kashmir Teachers Joint Action Committee (JKTJAC) at Teachers' Bhawan Bemina here today.
Addressing the gathering, Sakeena Itoo paid rich tributes to the invaluable contribution of teachers towards nation-building and societal progress. She said that teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the future of society by nurturing generations of students and instilling values, knowledge and character among them.
"The future of our nation rests in the hands of teachers, whose dedication and commitment have enabled countless students to excel in different fields and contribute meaningfully to society," the Minister said.
Sakeena Itoo further highlighted that the School Education department has undertaken series of administrative reforms to strengthen human resource management, improve field administration and address long-pending service matters in a time-bound manner. She added that department has initiated the placement of eligible PG Masters/PG Teachers as In-charge Lecturers to address faculty shortages in Higher Secondary Schools.
The Minister also said that in a major administrative achievement, updated final seniority lists for 31 out of 36 disciplines, covering 20,281 PG Masters/PG Teachers, have been issued after several years and the final seniority list of 3,509 Headmasters has also been notified.
“Department has further strengthened educational administration by placing 136 Senior Lecturers as In-charge Principals, 22 Principals as In-charge Chief Education Officers and 1,083 Masters as In-charge Headmasters”, she said.
“To fill vacant teaching positions, 594 Lecturer posts in 27 subjects were referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, which has recommended 537 candidates in 26 subjects”.
Expressing concern over issues confronting the teaching fraternity, the Minister observed that teachers who have devoted decades of their lives to imparting quality education deserve due recognition and fair consideration of their genuine concerns. She said the Government is fully aware of the challenges being faced by teachers and is committed to resolving them in a transparent and time-bound manner.
Referring to concerns raised regarding various service-related matters, Sakeena Itoo said that all genuine demands placed before the Government would be examined with empathy and seriousness. She reiterated that the School Education Department remains committed to protecting the interests of teachers while further strengthening the education sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister gave a patient hearing to the issues projected during the convention and assured the participants that the Government would continue engaging with all stakeholders to ensure that genuine concerns of teachers are addressed in the larger interest of strengthening the education system across Jammu and Kashmir.
On the occasion, Sakeena Itoo also handed over appointment orders as well as promotion orders to various candidates and officials respectively.
The convention was attended by Special Secretary, School Education Department, Ghulam Rasool Mir; Director School Education Kashmir, Naseer Ahmad Wani; Chief Education Officer Srinagar, senior officers of the School Education department as well as representatives of the teaching fraternity from across Jammu and Kashmir.