Private practice of Govt teachers
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: February 08, 2014 -

In the context of Manipur, private practice is normally a term we associate with doctors working in Government hospitals and other health institutes indulging in private practice at home or own clinic, and the authorities as well as the public denounce such practice as unethical.

But that of Government teachers, be they appointed on regular basis or on contact, engaging himself or herself directly or indirectly in other employment whatsoever, though widespread, has always remained ignored in the State by the same people as well as the related authorities as if such practice is acceptable and ethical.

So, the news report on a Government appointed contract lecturer working as the headmistress of a private school may not be not so surprising to many people in the State.

But as we have stated this is not an isolated case, there are many more similar cases that need sincere effort and attention on the part of the authorities concerned if the rot is to be stemmed out.

Well, for the argument sake, one may say and question us what is so wrong about a Government doctor or a teacher indulging in some private practice during their spare time if they were doing the job assigned to them by the Government so well.

But the question here is not just of the professional ethnics or violation of the government order banning private practice by the doctors or the agreement signed with the Government by the contract teachers, but of the failure of the authorities concerned to implement the rules and regulations framed for a purpose and then shutting their eyes tight, oblivious to everything.

This is exactly what has happened in the present case of a contract lecturer, who was in the first place appointed for teaching in Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School getting transferred to Nambol Higher Secondary School and then making her more convenient to take up the post of the headmistress of a private school, that too, duly recognised by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BSEM).

As to the transfer of the contract lecturer from Ibotonsana Girls’ Higher Secondary School to Nambol Higher Secondary School, the authorities concerned of the Education Department could easily come up to prove us wrong on the alleged violation of the existing rules for contract lecturers as the laid down terms and conditions for engagement of lecturers on contract basis simply stated rather loosely that the engaged contract lecturers shall work or perform duty assigned to them from time to time under the supervision and control of the Department or an authorised officer.

But how the contract lecturer in question has been allowed to engage herself directly (not even indirectly) in an employment other than what had been agreed upon is simply astounding.

What is even more obnoxious in the present case is the fact that BSEM has given recognition to a private school which is actually run by a Government-appointed contract lecturer!!

This shows that either BSEM has not done any verification of the school before granting recognition or there is something more than eyes could see and ears could hear.

Anyway, talking of the emerging trend of private practice by Government teachers in Manipur today, Honourable Education Minister Moirangthem Okendro could do very well to recall himself whether the cash incentive reward of Rs 10 lakh given to the principal of a private school some years back was for the good private practice of producing all-India topper in CBSE exam by a Government teacher or not.