Harish Rao urges CM Revanth Reddy to exclude Primary School teachers from household survey

He argued that deploying teachers for such tasks violates the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which stipulates that teachers should only be engaged in census, disaster relief, and election duties.

Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS MLA T Harish Rao urged Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to reconsider the decision to involve government primary school teachers in the State government’s Comprehensive Household Survey. He argued that deploying teachers for such tasks violates the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which stipulates that teachers should only be engaged in census, disaster relief, and election duties.

In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Harish Rao said the Education department issued orders on November 1, mandating that over 36,000 Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) and 3,414 headmasters participate in the survey. With the schools operating only from 9 am to 1 pm during this period, he felt that it would severely impact students’ learning. He pointed out that the order disrupts students, parents, and teachers alike, saying, “This decision erodes trust in government schools and adds to the burden on our education system.”

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The former Minister explained that the sudden decision to run half-day school, would pose challenges to parents of government school students, most of whom are daily-wage workers. He stated that shortened school hours would also hinder students’ educational progress, impacting their futures.

“The Right to Education Act strictly limits non-teaching duties for educators,” he asserted, urging the government to adhere to these regulations. He appealed to the Chief Minister to exclude primary school teachers from the survey and preserve the integrity of the education system and protect children’s right to education.