The Gujarat government has terminated 134 teachers for being absent from their duties and has initiated police action against three of them.
Following complaints of numerous teacher absences in government schools across the state, the education department directed all DEOs (District Education Officers) and DPOs (District Primary Education Officers) to gather details of teachers on prolonged or unauthorised leaves and submit them to the government.
Based on these details, the government took disciplinary action against the teachers, resulting in their termination. Among the terminated teachers, police cases have been filed against one teacher each from Rajkot, Anand, and Kutch.
The reports revealed that 32 teachers from 17 districts were on foreign trips, and 31 teachers were unauthorisedly absent for a long period.
Four teachers in Ahmedabad’s government and grant-in-aid schools are currently on foreign trips, and one teacher from a grant-in-aid school is on leave for 177 days.
In Ahmedabad rural, eight teachers in government primary schools have been on leave for more than 90 days, of which seven are on foreign trips and one is on medical leave.
Additionally, a teacher and an administrative staff in a rural government school are on prolonged leave. Legal proceedings have been initiated against the teacher, hence their prolonged absence, while the administrative staff member is on unauthorised leave.
Furthermore, a teacher in a municipal-run school has also been found to be absent for a long period.
Seven teachers are absent for a year or more in Chhotaudepur, who have been issued notices. Although a teacher has resigned, no suspensions or terminations have been carried out yet.