Punjab Education Department Restricts Govt Teachers From Practising Active Journalism

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The Punjab Education Department issued an order as a warning to the government teachers of the State.

The Education Department of Punjab, on the 13th of November, issued an order which restricts government teachers from practising journalism for print or electronic media and earning from it.

Jaskirat Kaur, the Assistant Director of Coordination Branch of Education Department of Punjab, issued the statement.  The statement read, “Some complaints were received that teachers in government schools are also working as journalists and publishing stories and materials against our own department. Also, an old case in this regard is ongoing in the high court, due to which the orders have been issued. There is no ban on contributing literary and academic works, but prior permission has to be taken. The orders are basically for news articles and journalistic material which teachers cannot publish.”

The question which arises is whether the concern behind the order is the teachers earning money from the journalistic material or the material in itself which is being published by electronic or print media outlets.

Ms. Kaur, in her orders, mentioned the Punjab Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1966, which state government employees are not allowed to work as journalists and if any employee violates the rule, he/she will have to face strict action.

According to the order issued by the Education Department, teachers who are working as journalists or reporters need to discontinue their work or face disciplinary action.  Any government teacher who is involved in the journalism field by writing for newspapers (news articles) with the permission of the school authorities should immediately either stop working as a teacher or stop writing journalistic content.

The order also read, “No government employee shall, except with the previous sanction of the government or prescribed authority, shall participate in the radio broadcast contribute an article or write a letter to a newspaper or periodical either in his own name or anonymously or pseudonymously or in the name of any other person.”  The Education Department said, “Provided that no such sanction shall be required if such contribution, broadcast or writing is of purely literary, artistic or scientific character.”

The decision came because of an ongoing case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court involving a teacher.  The teacher took a few interviews and published articles against the Education Department, due to which the department filed a case against the teacher.

While the Education Department said government teachers being involved in journalism is a threat to the department as the teachers blackmail the officials of the department, the teacher said the action of restricting them is against democracy.

A senior government teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The move is a government attempting to muzzle all noise against the wrongs in the system, particularly education. This is an absolutely undemocratic decision. The mater needs to be deliberated, in details, after engaging different sections of the society before any decision.”

Devinder Punia, the President of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, expressed his disappointment and said, “Teachers are known to voice their opinion on daily developments in the world. In fact, teachers are known to give the best editorial reactions on daily developments in explaining to a common man the meaning of an incident or a decision or an order.”

Teachers across Punjab are disappointed by the orders of the Education Department of Punjab as it interferes with their constitutional right to freedom of speech.

Stay tuned for further updates.

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