Hazaribag: The district administration has withheld the May salaries of 400 teachers posted in 59 government schools across Hazaribag district after their schools displayed poor performance in the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) board examinations. The move follows notices issued by district education officer (DEO) Praveen Ranjan on May 13, seeking responses from the affected teachers.
Decline in District Ranking
Hazaribag district ranked 14th among 24 districts in the JAC class 10 results this year, dropping seven spots from its position in 2025. The DEO, in his letter, stated that despite the availability of adequate teachers in schools, regular student testing, and sufficient resources, the results have not met expectations. The administration attributed the poor performance to a lack of effort from the teaching staff.
Teachers' Associations React
The decision has sparked outrage among teachers' outfits. Ravindra Chaudhary, acting general secretary of the Jharkhand State Secondary Teachers' Association, accused the government of deploying teachers more for non-academic tasks rather than focusing on teaching. He highlighted that in 2026, ahead of peak exam times, teachers were assigned to prepare income, caste, and residential certificates for students.
“Teachers are regularly assigned different non-academic tasks. Employing teachers for non-academic tasks has become a state-level issue. The government needs to seriously address this issue. Instead of encouraging teachers, they are being punished,” Chaudhary said. He further emphasized that the constant diversion of teachers from their primary duties has adversely affected student performance.
The association plans to escalate the matter to higher authorities, demanding a review of the salary withholding order and a reduction in non-academic assignments for teachers. The district administration, however, maintains that accountability is necessary to improve educational outcomes.
