AHSTA Demands Withdrawal of Order Appointing Higher Secondary Principals as Exam Watchmen

The Congress-backed organization, the Aided Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association (AHSTA), has vehemently demanded the withdrawal of a recent order that designates Higher Secondary School Principals as watchmen during the upcoming examination period.

The Director of General Education’s order outlines that question papers for the first and second-year Higher Secondary public examinations will be distributed starting February 25. Throughout the examination period, which extends until March 28, these critical question papers must be securely stored in school cupboards. The directive further stipulates that for nighttime protection of these papers, available office assistants, menials, clerks, and lab assistants should be appointed as night watchmen. Critically, the order explicitly states that the Chief Superintendent will be responsible for the security of the question papers during the daytime, including on holidays.

AHSTA has sharply criticized this directive, pointing out that it will force principals, who serve as Chief Superintendents, to report to school on Sundays and other holidays to personally guard the question papers during the day.

Furthermore, the association highlighted that this order would place teachers appointed as Chief Superintendents in unaided schools in the awkward position of having to guard question papers in schools with which they are unfamiliar.

The organization accused the government of insulting principals, who are the heads of their respective institutions, by effectively assigning them the role of daytime watchmen. AHSTA argued that this treatment is similar to how lower-ranking staff like office assistants, clerks, and lab assistants are appointed as night watchmen.

The AHSTA State Committee has strongly protested against what it terms as humiliation and disrespect towards teachers, demanding immediate rectification of the order. The association found it unacceptable that Higher Secondary Principals are being burdened by the government’s inefficiencies in the Higher Secondary sector, especially when SSLC examination question papers are securely stored in treasuries and only delivered to schools on examination days.

AHSTA further alleged that this circular exposes a double standard and a stepmotherly attitude from a government that claims to have integrated high schools and higher secondary schools, yet continues to treat the Higher Secondary sector differently.

AHSTA President S. Manoj emphasized that if the government lacks alternative means to ensure security, it should instead appoint security guards from a government-licensed security agency. He noted that financial institutions, including banks, utilize such professional services, and no system should require the head of an institution to perform watchman duties.