Chhattisgarh Teachers Protest New Directive to Monitor Dangerous Wildlife on School Premises

The Chhattisgarh Directorate of Public Instruction has issued a controversial directive requiring government school teachers to monitor dangerous creatures including snakes, scorpions, and stray dogs on school premises, sparking significant backlash from educators.

Raipur officials distributed this mandate to district education officers, principals, and headmasters across the state, citing a Supreme Court order as justification. The directive explicitly states that teachers must prevent venomous creatures from entering school grounds and endangering students.

The teaching community has responded with outrage, describing the order as absurd and impractical. Educators argue they already bear numerous responsibilities beyond teaching, including midday meal supervision, student documentation management, building safety monitoring, exam coordination, and parent outreach programs.

In a strongly worded statement, the Teachers' Association questioned, "Children's safety is important, but who will protect teachers from poisonous creatures? Are teachers' lives not valuable?" The organization called for the government to respect teachers' professional dignity rather than treating them as multi-purpose workers.

This new directive substantially expands educators' duties, which previously only required preventing stray dogs and cattle from entering school grounds. The order now holds teachers and headmasters directly accountable if students are injured by animals, drown near water bodies, or are hurt by deteriorating school infrastructure.

Teachers will also face consequences for poor midday meal quality or failure to collect required student documentation such as Aadhaar cards and caste certificates.

District Education Officer Vijay Tande defended the measure, stating: "This is a Supreme Court order. All principals and head teachers must comply. The school premises must be secure under all circumstances."

While the Supreme Court did issue directions instructing states to keep stray dogs away from educational institutions, hospitals, and public spaces—including mandating fencing in such areas—teachers argue the court never required them to personally monitor venomous animals, particularly in schools located in open terrain, forest-adjacent areas, or rural settings.

Educators maintain this responsibility should belong to civic bodies, security personnel, and district administrations, not teaching staff. For government schools in remote locations where encounters with dangerous wildlife are common, teachers suggest practical solutions including boundary wall construction, security guard employment, and regular maintenance—rather than shifting wildlife management responsibilities onto educators.