Teachers freed from P4 linked pressure

There is a growing resentment among teacher unions in the state against what they call “pressure being mounted on them to register as ‘mentors’ or “guides” under the ‘P4” (Public-Private-People-Participation) initiative.” In view of this, Secretary, School Education, Kona Sashidhar has issued a circular strictly instructing district Collectors not to involve principals, headmasters or teachers of government schools and colleges in any activity not related to the School Education Department.

Mr. Sasidhar pointed out that it was brought to the notice of the government that Collectors and certain departments in a few districts were asking principals, headmasters and teachers of government schools and colleges to upload data related to their departments without the notice of the School Education Department. He said this was causing a hindrance to the regular academic activities in the respective institutions and asked the district officials to desist from involving teachers.

Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF), meanwhile, have welcomed the move stating that this would end the prevailing confusion among teachers.

It may be noted that in the wake of the launch of P4 initiative and the government urging all departments to become part of the poverty-eradication drive, a few District Education Officers (DEOs), after receiving instructions by the Collectors, sent links to headmasters and teachers asking them to register as ‘mentors’ and adopt families under the initiative within a stipulated deadline.

The move drew flak from teacher unions which insisted that pressure to adopt families was unacceptable and that the “p4’ programme should be implemented on voluntary basis.