Tripura bars government teachers from taking tuitions

Agartala: Government school teachers in Tripura will not be allowed to take private tuitions for students, a strongly worded government circular has said.

"If any teacher is found involved in private tuition for money, severe appropriate actions would be taken against the erring teachers," it said.

Tripura school education department director Sahadeb Das, who issued the circular recently, on Saturday said "Teachers of the government and government-aided schools have engaged themselves in private tuitions, thereby resorting to earning money."

"Such practice goes against the relevant provisions of the service conduct rules in force, as the teachers are within the ambit of the said rules," he added.

According to a report of the Delhi-based NGO Annual Status of Education Report Center, 77.3 percent students from class 4 to class 8 in Tripura take paid tuitions, followed by 76 percent in West Bengal and 55.8 in Bihar.

"Though the quantum of punishment of the guilty teacher is yet to be finalised, at least the liable teacher would be transferred from his place of posting," Das said.

According to the government notification, private tuitions by government school teachers have been prohibited under the Right of Children to Rree and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

"The teachers are aware that their position in the society is looked upon with a sense of respect, and it is expected that they would not fail in discharging their responsibility by imparting education through regular schooling in an effective manner," it said.

"The practice of private tuition hurts those students aspiring for learning through regular schooling, since the teachers concerned fail to devote their full energy to class work," the notification stated. IANS