Surveys after survey have highlighted the deteriorating standard of education in Gujarat. Often, the government and students’ addiction to social media and smartphones is blamed. However, teachers often escape the blame.
In a shocking incident that exposes fraud by a teacher and lethargy of action on part of the Gujarat government, a teacher in Banaskantha has been found drawing her regular salary despite the fact that she lives in the United States of America.
According to the principal of Pancha Government Primary School, the school head had been found to be drawing her regular monthly salary despite having settled in the US as a green card holder years ago.
The state government has now ordered a probe against the head teacher who has remained absent from duty for nearly eight years. She apparently lives in Chicago and visits this school just once a year. Everything else, sources claim, is due to “setting”. Her school’s acting principal has brought this serious issue to light.
The issue came to the fore after Parul Mehta, current in-charge principal of the school, informed local media that despite settling in the US in 2016, Bhavna Patel continued to be on the payroll.
Identified as Bhavna Patel, this primary school teacher in Panchha village of Banaskantha district, has been on the school’s payroll despite reporting to duty only for a month every year and going on unauthorised leave for the rest of the year as she reportedly lives in Chicago (US).
Gujarat Education Minister Kuber Dindor said, “I have ordered an inquiry and sought a report from district officials. We do not allow such practice. If found guilty of unauthorised absence, we will punish the teacher and recover the salary she was paid.” Minister of State for Education
Praful Pansheriya asserted that the teacher had not been paid since January.
“She is one of 11 teachers in Danta taluka of Banaskantha. As per a primary report submitted by officials, she has been taking leaves at regular intervals. However, the report clearly stated that she has not been paid a single rupee since January. We will take action if she is found guilty of availing any other benefits despite living abroad,” Pansheriya said.
“Bhavnaben Patel settled in the US in 2016. But, to ensure her service continues, she comes to school once a year and serves for a month. This has been going on for several years. Children are suffering because of her long absence. She should either resign or join duty,” Mehta told reporters.
She also shared a letter dated July 18, wherein she has urged District Education Officer Vinubhai Patel to take action against the teacher, who will retire in 2027.
Mehta claimed the teacher took two months’ salary each year despite being on “leave without pay” as per the school muster.
The DEO, in his response, said Bhavna Patel was on an unauthorised leave for the last eight months and had not been paid since January.
“Our taluka primary education officer (TPEO) found out about this during an inspection in May and sent her a notice. The official rejected her explanation and informed us to take further action. We have not paid her in the last eight months,” he said.
He said the teacher reported to duty in January and left for the US.
After getting the notice in June, she sent an explanation on WhatsApp.
“In her reply, she said she would join duty in September. However, her reply was rejected, and she was asked to report to work immediately. In the past, we have dismissed 10 teachers for unauthorised absence for more than one year. We will again issue a notice and take strict action against her,” he said.
Students, however, said they had not seen Patel in at least two years.
As per state government rules, teachers can be dismissed from service only when they are absent for a year or more, the DEO said.
It must be noted the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) has revealed poor learning levels among the students in rural areas of Gujarat, even as enrolment rate in government schools in villages of the state exceeds the national average.
According to one such report, which was released on Wednesday, only 53 per cent students in Class V could read Class II text and only 13.3 per cent students of Class VIII could read Class I text. Similarly, 35 per cent Class V students could identify numbers, only 14.5 per cent students were able to do simple divisions and only 66 per cent Class VIII students could read sentences.
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