The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), an autonomous organisation of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, in a recent  circular, has asked the Kendriya Vidyalayas to keep teachers after school hours by an additional 1.20 hours, sparking resentment among them.

As per the existing practice, the Kendriya Vidyalayas run for six to 10 hours, including a recess period of 30 minutes. But the new schedule which comes into effect from April 1, prescribes different time schedules for students and teachers. While time for students will remain the same, the teachers will have to stay in the school by an additional 1.20 hours after the normal school hours.

The authorities justify the draconian law by citing the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 which, among others, prescribes 45 teaching hours, including preparation hours, as working hours per week for teachers.

With the new time schedule due to come to effect in April, the KV teachers have registered their protest against it terming it as physically bad, intellectually torturing, mentally damaging, psychologically frustrating and inhuman. A few teachers said when the new time schedule of works for teachers would be implemented; it would make the teachers stay in the school from 7:30 am to 3 pm with a break of just 20 minutes. It is misinterpretation of the RTE Act by the authorities which violates the basic tenants of the RTE Act, they maintained.

Quoting the Act, they said it provides for 800 instructional hours per academic year from Classes I to V and 1,000 instructional hours per academic year from Classes VI to VIII. But already in the existing practice, the KVs have around 1,200 instructional hours per academic year right from Classes I to class XII. Given this fact, hardly is there any need to reduce the recess by 10 minutes and detain the teachers for one hour and twenty minutes after the departure of the students from the school.

Under the Act, there is provision of midday meals and this requires higher minimum working hours for teachers. However, the KVs are neither limited up to Class VIII nor is there provision of midday meals, they rued.

This is totally disgraceful as nowhere the employees remain at work place for about eight hours without having food. So, the RTE Act, 2009 needs to be implemented in true spirit so that the teaching-learning process becomes stress-free, they suggested.