MUCH have been said and observed in the daily papers over the last few days giving counter and counter attack of paper wars on the issue of bifurcation of Higher Secondary and Secondary sections. As an observer, I would like to share my views in respect of the issue. Everyone deserves their due share and has rights to pursue their service career and expect justice from authority without any bias but in the first place why has Govt. not exercised much thought on how the two sections would be functioned either management or promotion avenues for both the two cadres and upgraded so much of Higher Secondary Schools in the state thus creating chaos between the units. Perhaps, the creation was necessitated as per situation, but without laying the ground policy and putting the two under the same roof will definitely produce friction between the two warring units.
The present functions of putting them under the same roof is like putting a dog and a cat in one basket with meat and instruct them not to eat or fight and being amused to see how they fight, after all , teachers are all witty and good talkers. But let us not play with the career of our youngsters.
In regards to production of good results, I neither support the Secondary nor Higher Secondary teachers as both have played their role by giving their best. The question is who has given birth and nurtured the baby and now grown to a teenager? A healthy baby becomes a healthy man. In this regards, definitely the credit should be given to the people who have taken care during the formative years. It is not a Midas Touch that touches the students to turn to gold when they come up to higher level. Another reason for getting good results in Higher Secondary Schools is, these schools are in existence mostly in District and Sub-Division Headquarters. The Higher Secondary Schools produced better results because the students are mostly from urban or semi-urban areas who are better off compared to rural students. The reality of who is doing well and who is not can be seen only when Higher Secondary Schools opens up in rural areas.
A difference of the two cadres is the quantum of time spends in schools. The Higher Secondary teachers act as College pattern that they come only when they have classes and go when they finish their classes whereas the Secondary teachers are available whether they have classes attending to the needs of the school and this is supposed to be doing
The cause of friction between the two warring groups is mostly to do with ego and status of the teachers. Definitely the Higher Secondary Teachers should be respected as they have entered in the service as Class II Gazetted Officers whereas the GT are Class III. However, looking at the nature of experience and qualification, the PGT are mostly novice and the GT are more experienced who are also mostly equally qualified with MA and B.Ed. and with many years of teaching experience.
Besides other valid reasons, the entry point of the GT/PT is Class III and in terms of thousands whereas PGT are Class II and are in term of hundreds only as such the promotional avenues of the later is faster and the earlier become very narrow which is not logical at all to be traveling in the same boogey.
I have also come across the higher authority inviting to prepare road map or formula to find solution to this problem from Associations which I find it to be putting the cart before the horse. In reality of life, status differs as per specialization of a subject one has attained and the one who are occupying the revolving chairs are supposed to be specialized and analytical in the subject matters and why to follow the whims of certain group of factions.
To solve the present chaotic headache which is causing immense loss to the student community, let the Cats and Dogs be separated and let them have their own day as they deserve. If the problem of separating the two units is due to lack of infrastructure, the authority may agree for separation in principle till such time the required infrastructure is made available for both the sections as it is running now.
A concerned Retired Officer
