The Democratic Teachers Front (DTF) has urged the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to extend the student registration deadline for Classes VIII to XII, currently set for July 10, by at least one month. Teachers cite overwhelming non-academic assignments, including Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, a statewide drug survey, and recurring technical glitches on the registration portal, as insurmountable obstacles to meeting the current timeline.
Teachers Overburdened with Government Assignments
DTF state president Digvijaypal Sharma and state secretary Resham Singh Khemuana highlighted that teachers have been diverted for months to tasks such as answer-sheet evaluation, Census work, departmental training, MC election duties, and drug surveys. Currently, many are engaged in SIR of electoral rolls, leaving minimal time for registration-related activities.
Under existing PSEB norms, schools failing to complete registrations by the deadline face hefty penalties. The DTF argued that penalizing schools for delays caused by government-mandated assignments would be unjust, as teachers have no control over these deployments.
Additional Documentation and Portal Glitches
This year, the registration process requires mandatory uploading of students' digital birth certificates. Many parents have yet to obtain these documents, preventing schools from completing registrations despite repeated follow-ups. Furthermore, frequent server outages on the PSEB registration portal force teachers to work from home after school hours, adding to their burden.
The DTF noted that while last year's deadline was July 28, schools have been given a much shorter window this year despite increased documentation requirements and technical issues. The board has also raised the late registration penalty from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 per student after July 15, further pressuring schools.
Demand for Extension and Penalty Review
Seeking immediate intervention, the DTF urged PSEB to extend the registration deadline by one month and review the penalty provisions. The organization maintained that teachers should not bear the consequences of government deployment, inadequate timelines, and technical failures. An extension, they argued, would ensure smooth registrations without placing unnecessary pressure on schools or parents.
