Teachers across major cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) are up in arms against recent government directives that enlist them in managing stray dogs on school premises. The orders, issued in compliance with a Supreme Court mandate, have been criticized as another non-teaching burden being forced upon an already overworked profession.
What the Government Orders Mandate
The controversy stems from official communications sent to schools in Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad. In Gurgaon, the order was formally communicated to schools on Tuesday, with instructions to appoint a nodal officer for campus upkeep and to prevent stray dogs from entering. Noida received its directive on December 20, while Ghaziabad schools were notified on December 30.
The root of these orders lies in a Supreme Court directive from November 7. The apex court instructed state governments and local bodies to take urgent public safety and health measures to curb dog bites in institutional areas, including schools, hospitals, and transport hubs.
Education department officials clarified that the nodal teacher would have a coordinating role. Principals are required to designate a teacher as the single point of contact with municipal bodies for reporting, removing, and relocating stray dogs found within school boundaries. Schools must also conduct physical inspections of boundary walls and gates to secure campuses against animal entry.
Teachers Voice Their Frustration
Educators have expressed strong opposition, viewing this as the latest in a series of extraneous duties diverting them from their primary teaching role. A government school teacher in Gurgaon highlighted the growing list of non-academic responsibilities: "Apart from teaching work, we have been given the job of carrying surveys of out-of-school children, supervision of construction work, and medical-related duties such as checking students' height and weight. We are also expected to look after kitchen gardens and cleanliness drives." The teacher questioned why the government does not appoint security guards for such tasks instead.
Another teacher pointed out the cumulative impact on education quality. "Every few weeks, a new task is added. While each duty may appear small in isolation, together they significantly reduce the time and energy teachers can devote to students," the teacher explained.
The protest is particularly strong in Uttar Pradesh, where teachers already serve as Block Level Officers (BLOs) for intensive electoral roll revision work. Praveen Sharma, president of Noida's government primary teachers' association, stated, "Teachers are overburdened with non-academic work such as BLO duty, election duty, polio duty, family surveys and census, vaccination and medical duties, etc. Campus security and stray dog management should be handled by guards or non-teaching staff, not teachers." Sharma added that imposing such thankless jobs demeans the teaching profession.
Official Stand: Safety is Paramount
Education department officials have dismissed the criticism, emphasizing that student safety is non-negotiable. A senior official from the Haryana Education Department stated, "When children are inside the school, whose responsibility are they? This order is only to ensure that no stray dog enters and bites them." The official drew a parallel to parental duty, arguing that just as parents protect children at home, school staff must ensure gates are closed and campuses are secure.
A senior Uttar Pradesh education department official echoed this sentiment, affirming that the responsibility for a child's safety lies with school managements, who must coordinate with municipal authorities. "Student safety remains the top priority," the official concluded.
The standoff highlights the ongoing tension between the core academic mission of schools and the increasing administrative and civic duties being assigned to teachers, raising fundamental questions about role clarity and resource allocation in the public education system.
