Punjab’s School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains has taken a firm stand against the growing trend of assigning teachers non-academic responsibilities. In a recent directive to the state chief secretary, he made it clear that teachers should not be deployed for clerical, administrative, or other non-teaching work. Bains said that any such deployment, if absolutely necessary, must have the prior written approval of the Education Department. This decision aims to ensure that teachers remain focused on what they do best — teaching and mentoring students.

The move comes amid reports from various districts that teachers were being engaged in duties unrelated to education, such as data entry, election work, and administrative paperwork. This not only distracted them from classroom teaching but also affected student learning outcomes.

The minister’s directive is a much-needed step to restore balance in the school system and to reaffirm the government’s commitment to quality education in Punjab. I find this initiative significant because it highlights a long-standing issue in our education system — the undervaluing of teachers’ time. By freeing them from non-academic burdens, the government can help teachers give their full attention to students, which is the real foundation of educational improvement.

Teachers to Focus Only on Teaching

Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated that classroom presence is the top priority of the government. Teachers, he said, are the backbone of the education system, and diverting them to non-teaching tasks defeats the very purpose of their role. “No teacher should be made to do duties outside of teaching work. If such duties are unavoidable, written permission from the Education Department must be obtained in advance,” he said in his letter.

He also instructed school authorities and district education officers to strictly monitor compliance with this order. The government aims to ensure that no teacher is absent from classrooms due to unrelated official tasks.

Common Non-Teaching Tasks Assigned to Teachers

For years, teachers in government schools have been assigned duties that have little to do with education. These often include:

• Election or census-related duties
• Mid-day meal data collection and stock maintenance
• Record management and administrative file work
• Distribution of government schemes or welfare benefits
• Survey and field verification activities

These assignments, though necessary for governance, take a heavy toll on classroom teaching time. Teachers often find themselves juggling administrative tasks during school hours, leaving little time for lesson planning or student engagement.

Government’s Focus on Learning Outcomes

The Punjab Education Department has been actively implementing reforms to improve the state’s school learning outcomes. Under the leadership of Harjot Singh Bains, several steps — including teacher training, digital classrooms, and student performance monitoring — have been taken to improve the quality of education.

The new order to end non-teaching duties is expected to further enhance teaching effectiveness. By allowing educators to spend more time inside classrooms, the government hopes to boost academic performance, reduce learning gaps, and improve students’ overall interest in studies.

Teachers Welcome the Move

Teachers across the state have welcomed the decision. Many have long demanded relief from clerical and field assignments that often kept them away from students. Several teacher associations have praised the minister’s decision, saying it recognises the professional dignity of educators and helps them focus on their primary responsibility.

A government school teacher from Ludhiana said, “We often spend hours filling reports or doing election-related work. With this directive, we can finally give more attention to our students and lesson plans.”

Accountability and Implementation

The Education Department has instructed all district education officers (DEOs) and block education officers (BEOs) to ensure immediate implementation of the order. Schools have been asked to maintain attendance and duty logs to ensure that teachers are not diverted for any unauthorised work. Any violation of this directive will attract disciplinary action against the responsible officers.

A Step Towards Strengthening Punjab’s Education System

This directive reflects a deeper commitment by the Punjab government to rebuild trust in the state’s education framework. By protecting teachers’ time and energy, the government is sending a message that education must be treated as a serious and specialised responsibility — not as a convenient labour pool for administrative tasks.

Punjab has made noticeable progress in school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and digital learning tools in recent years. However, as Minister Bains pointed out, real transformation comes from empowering teachers to do their job effectively.