(AP photo)
SRINAGAR: Political parties and teachers’ unions in Jammu & Kashmir have slammed education department’s recent directives mandating teachers to report stray dog populations and take part in “management of stray dogs”, and demanded their immediate withdrawal and strict action against officials responsible for issuing such orders. A senior education department official, however, said the orders were based on Supreme Court’s recent guidelines on stray dogs.Jammu & Kashmir Civil Society Forum president Abdul Qayoom Wani described the orders as “shocking” and said they hurt the dignity of thousands of teachers across the Union Territory. Wani, a former head of Jammu & Kashmir Teachers’ Forum, said administration was assigning teachers such duties that had “no connection with teaching or academic development”.PDP called the directives “atrocious”, saying teachers were meant to teach and should not be forced to perform tasks outside their professional role. “Govt must respect educators, not humiliate them with irrational directives,” PDP spokesperson Syed Tajamul said.Jammu & Kashmir General Line Teachers Forum said in a statement the orders were “insulting, irrelevant and an affront to the dignity of teachers”.In the past three days, orders have been issued by various chief education officers across the Union Territory to all drawing and disbursing officers and heads of institutions of govt and private schools to nominate one nodal officer for “monitoring and coordination regarding stray dogs in and around the premises”. According to the orders, the nodal officer will be responsible for reporting sightings and incidents related to stray dogs. The officer will coordinate with municipal, animal husbandry and local bodies concerned for “effective removal and management of stray dogs around educational premises”. The nodal officer will also ensure safety and awareness among staff and students.Jammu & Kashmir has reported more than 2.1 lakh dog-bite cases since 2022, with Jammu and Srinagar districts recording the highest average daily bites at 24.9 and 37.6, respectively.
