District unit of the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers’ Association has urged the government to withdraw the powers of administration and supervision given to non-official chairman and vice chairman of the School Development and Management Committees (SDMCs).
    In a memorandum to the House Committee headed by Dr L Hanumanthaiah constituted to study the functioning of SDMCs here recently, the Association has strongly objected to the administrative and supervisory powers given to the SDMC chairmen as it has led to harassment of teachers.
   Though the very purpose of the SDMC was to ensure better development of schools, most of the SDMCs have forgotten the basic purpose and were interested only in exercising powers over teachers.
   The Association complained that the cases of harassment of teachers and sexual exploitation of lady teachers by the SDMC chairmen have been on the raise and it has become very difficult for teachers to work at the mercy of non-official chairmen of SDMCs. No attention whatsoever was being given for the betterment of quality of education in government schools down the line, it alleged.
   The Association has urged the House Committee to do away with joint responsibility of handling bank account. The monetary powers should be given either to the head master/senior teacher or to the SDMC chairman/vice chairman.
   The other demands of the Association are giving the powers of sanction of leave to official concerned instead of the SDMC chairman and withdrawal of powers SDMC chairman/vice chairman of inspection of teachers’ attendance.