Teachers to be appointed nodal officers in stray dog-related matters in Delhi; associations opposed

New Delhi: Teachers in Delhi will be appointed as nodal officers in matters related to stray dogs around their educational institutions following directions issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE).

Teachers' associations, however, opposed the move, arguing that assigning such duties during the academic session could adversely affect teaching work, especially as pre-board examinations are currently underway in several schools.

According to a circular issued on December 5 by the DoE's Caretaking Branch, district education officers have been directed to designate teachers as nodal officers for stray dog-related matters and submit their details to the directorate, which will forward the consolidated information to the chief secretary.

In North West A district, the deputy director of education has issued an order naming 118 teachers from different schools in the zone for the task. The order also mentions three teachers as nodal officers representing three zones.

Separately, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) also appointed 97 nodal officers in municipal schools for stray dog-related coordination, according to an order issued on November 28.

As per the circular, compiled district-level reports are to be submitted, and replies from individual schools will not be accepted.

The details to be shared include the name, designation, contact number, and email ID of the nominated nodal officers from schools, stadiums and sports complexes under the district.

The nodal officers will act as point persons for stray dog-related issues and their details must be displayed prominently outside school buildings and other educational premises for public awareness, it stated.

The DoE said the move is linked to public safety and is being implemented in accordance with the Supreme Court's November 7 order and directions issued during a meeting held on November 20. The task has been marked as a top priority, the circular added.

Teachers' bodies, however, questioned why departments responsible for animal welfare are not handling the issue, cautioning that repeated non-academic assignments undermine the dignity of the teaching profession.

President of a government teachers' association, Sant Ram, said teachers have always extended their services whenever required, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but deploying them for non-teaching duties during working days was unfair to students.

"If teachers are allowed to focus only on education during school days, it will be in the best interest of society and the country. Such duties can be assigned during vacations but diverting teachers during the academic session is an injustice to children," he said.

The DoE circular follows directions issued by the Supreme Court on November 7 in a suo motu case titled "City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price", which dealt with stray dog management and steps to reduce human-dog conflicts, especially around schools.

To implement the court's order, the urban development department of the Delhi government held a meeting on November 12 under the chairmanship of the secretary (Urban Development). During the meeting, departments were instructed to take coordinated steps to ensure safety in schools and public spaces, according to a circular dated November 20.

As part of the compliance plan, schools, offices and stadiums were directed to prevent the entry of stray dogs into their premises through security staff, nominate nodal officers, carry out regular inspections to check for dog habitats and conduct awareness sessions for students and staff on animal behaviour, first aid in case of dog bites and reporting procedures.

The Caretaking Branch of the DoE has been designated nodal branch to coordinate the exercise, it stated.

Similar directives involving the deployment of teachers for animal-related matters have been issued earlier in several states and Union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.