Schools to appoint nodal officers in stray dog-related issues; DoE denies assigning 'specific roles'

New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The Directorate of Education has directed schools in the national capital to appoint nodal officers to handle matters related to stray dogs around their educational institutions, in compliance with a Supreme Court order over the issue, but no such specific role has been assigned to teachers, officials said.

In an official statement issued on Monday, the directorate clarified, "No directions have been issued by the Directorate of Education concerning the assignment of specific duties to teachers." In a circular dated December 5, the DoE's Caretaking Branch directed district education officers to designate nodal officers from schools for stray dog-related matters and submit their details to the directorate, which will forward the consolidated list to the chief secretary.

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

As per the circular, 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.

District education officers were directed to submit a compiled district-level list of details, the circular said, adding that replies from individual schools would not be accepted.

In North West A district, the deputy director of education has issued an order naming 118 staff members from different schools in the zone for the task. The order also mentions three 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.

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

The Supreme Court order directed local authorities to remove stray dogs from public places like schools, hospitals, to sterilise and vaccinate them (ABC rules), and shift them to shelters without releasing them back, citing rising attacks and rabies infection.

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, chaired by 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. PTI SHB SHB ARB ARB