Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug 21: A duty chart assigning teachers of Government Middle School, Kanayapuram, to a “Stray Dog / Removal Squad” has raised questions over the nature of non-teaching duties being assigned to teachers and whether such responsibilities could affect classroom time.
The chart, reviewed by The Wave Andaman, lists two teachers each day from Monday to Saturday, with one assigned for the forenoon (FN) and another for the afternoon (AN), under a column titled “Stray Dog / Removal Squad”. It also contains a column to record the number of dogs and cattle removed.
However, the school headmistress told The Wave Andaman that teachers named on the roster are not expected to physically chase or remove stray animals.
According to the headmistress, their role is limited to remaining alert to the presence of stray dogs or cattle on the campus and informing the Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), who are responsible for dealing with the situation.
The teachers “are not directed to run after the cattle”, the headmistress said, maintaining that the arrangement was meant for awareness and coordination rather than physical removal of animals.
She said similar arrangements have been introduced in several other schools following instructions received by schools, though she declined to identify them.
The principal also said she personally attends to the problem of stray dogs and cattle entering the campus and considers ensuring safety on the premises part of her responsibility as head of the institution.
School Lacks Boundary
The issue is complicated by the absence of a boundary wall at Government Middle School, Kanayapuram, according to the headmistress.
Without a proper physical barrier, stray animals can enter the campus, leaving the school administration to repeatedly deal with a potential safety risk to students and staff.
The headmistress questioned how schools were expected to address the stray-animal problem without infrastructure to prevent animals from entering in the first place.
She also referred to a monthly Google Sheet through which schools are required to report information related to stray-dog removal. She questioned the accuracy of the reporting mechanism and alleged that it could result in schools submitting what she described as a “false report”. The Wave Andaman has not independently verified the allegation.
The headmistress also pushed back against any suggestion that the duty roster itself showed that teachers were being burdened with animal-removal work.
She instead raised concerns about the functioning of some teachers at the school, alleging that some did not reach their classes on time.
The headmistress said she had joined the school around one-and-a-half months ago and claimed that the working environment had changed since she took charge, with some teachers finding it difficult to adjust to what she described as a stricter working environment.
When asked to identify the teachers concerned and whether any administrative action had been initiated over the alleged lapses, the principal did not provide their names.
Teaching Time Questioned
The headmistress’s clarification changes the immediate context of the duty chart: teachers, according to her, are not being asked to chase dogs or cattle around the school.
It does, however, leave a broader question about why teachers need to be formally rostered under a “Stray Dog / Removal Squad” if their role is limited to alerting MTS personnel.
There is a genuine safety issue. Stray dogs and cattle entering a school campus can pose risks to children and staff, and schools need a mechanism to respond quickly when animals enter the premises.
At the same time, teachers’ primary responsibility is classroom instruction. Even when an additional duty is limited to monitoring, coordination or alerting support staff, education authorities need to ensure that it does not interfere with teaching.
The wording of the duty chart makes the question particularly relevant. Teachers have been assigned specific forenoon and afternoon shifts against a dedicated removal-squad schedule, while the same document provides for recording the number of animals removed.
This makes it reasonable to seek clarity on precisely what is expected of teachers during their assigned shifts and whether a formal teacher roster is necessary when the physical task of dealing with animals is handled by MTS personnel.
The issue assumes greater significance because teachers are routinely held accountable for classroom attendance, completion of the curriculum, discipline and student learning outcomes.
Such accountability is necessary. If teachers are not reaching classrooms on time or are failing to discharge their academic responsibilities, as alleged by the principal in this case, those issues should be addressed through the appropriate administrative process.
But accountability must also extend to the system within which teachers work. Education authorities need to examine whether non-academic assignments, individually or cumulatively, reduce the time and attention available for classroom instruction.
Department Response Awaited
The Kanayapuram episode also raises questions about coordination between agencies dealing with civic issues and the Education Department.
Schools need an effective mechanism to protect children from stray animals, but campus safety and uninterrupted classroom teaching should not become competing responsibilities.
The absence of a boundary wall also raises a more fundamental infrastructure question: whether preventing animals from routinely entering the campus would be a more effective solution than repeatedly managing them after they have entered.
The Wave Andaman has sought clarification from the Directorate of Education on whether it is aware of such arrangements in government schools, whether the formation of stray-animal squads involving teachers is based on any official direction or programme, and what safeguards exist to ensure that non-academic responsibilities do not interfere with teaching.
The Directorate’s response is awaited and will be incorporated when received.
