Only ten Ludhiana teachers nominated for state awards

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 19

The Education Department has got applications of 272 teachers for the state teachers’ awards to be given to the best educators in the state. As many as 60 teachers would be awarded in three different categories. From Ludhiana, the names of 10 teachers were recommended while the maximum of 30 recommendations came from Patiala district.

As per available information, for the three categories — 219 names were recommended for the State Award, 47 for the Young Teacher Award and six for the Special Teacher Category. Though Ludhiana is the biggest district of the state, only 10 names were recommended from here. At the same time, districts like Patiala and Bathinda have recommended 30 and 25 names respectively. The minimum of six applications have been sent from Kapurthala, Amritsar and Pathankot districts each.

The recommendations can only be sent by other teachers. Meanwhile, between August 13-23, the nominees will give a seven minute presentation to the selection committee about their accomplishments and why they should be given the award.

Exercise an ‘eye-wash’, says teachers’ union

Terming the whole practice an ‘eye-wash’, Daljit Singh Samrala, president, Democratic Teachers’ Union, said the results were ‘predetermined’ and that recommendations were made accordingly. “The government has got our ACR reports, they know what all the teachers do, how they are bringing a positive change. Earlier, teachers used to apply on their own and now the names are recommended. But we feel that the deserving teachers are left out and the ‘blue eyed’ get the recognition. There is a lot of politics involved in these awards”, Singh added.