Teacher suspended for drinking, skipping school in Chamba

The Chamba Elementary Education Department has suspended a Junior Basic Teacher (JBT) posted at Government Primary School at Kuthar in Bharmour subdivision after he was found intoxicated and absent during school hours.

The action followed an inquiry by the Block Elementary Education Officer in which the charges against the teacher were found to be true. The teacher’s headquarters have now been reassigned to Salooni, and a replacement teacher from Government Central Primary School, Badgran, has been deputed at Kuthar.

The incident came to light on Thursday when students arrived at the school to find the teacher absent. Harried parents started arrived at the school around 11 am and captured videos of the empty classroom and shared them on social media.

The parents also informed the School Management Committee (SMC) president about the teacher’s absence. Following this, the committee president notified the Block Elementary Education Officer.

It was later revealed that the teacher had been drinking on his way to work. Villagers found in an intoxicated state, which they recorded and subsequently posted online. The video quickly gained traction, prompting the Bharmour administration to order an inquiry.

This is reportedly not the first such incident, with locals alleging previous instances of the teacher being intoxicated on duty in the past too. Chamba’s Deputy Director of Elementary Education, Gyan Chand, confirmed the suspension, emphasising the department’s commitment to addressing such issues. Bharmour’s acting ADM, Kulbir Singh Rana, added that a formal investigation was underway following the suspension. The incident has raised significant concerns about maintaining professional standards in educational institutions, particularly in remote regions like Bharmour.