Burdened teachers told to keep stray dogs out of school, unions call move insulting

Maharashtra teachers protest new directive to monitor stray dogs on school premises, adding to their already heavy workload from teaching and elections.

MUMBAI: Already burdened with teaching duties and election-related work, schoolteachers across Maharashtra are now being asked to take on yet another responsibility, keeping stray dogs out of school premises, a move that has triggered sharp protests from teachers’ organisations.

Patiala, India- 16 July 2016:::: Stray dogs in Patiala on Saturday, July 16, 2016. Photo by Bharat Bhushan Hindustan Times

The school education department has issued instructions directing schools to appoint teachers as nodal officers to monitor and prevent the entry of stray dogs on campus. The directive, based on a communication from the Education Commissioner dated December 30, has been circulated to school principals, including those in Mumbai’s north division, asking them to submit the names of teachers assigned to this role.

Under the order, every government, aided, partially aided and self-financed school under Zilla Parishads, municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats must designate a teacher for this responsibility. Education officers have asked schools to send the required details on priority.

The directive comes at a time when many teachers are already deployed for duties related to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections scheduled on January 15, 2025, adding to their workload.

Officials said the move follows a suo motu petition before the Supreme Court on the nuisance caused by stray animals and incidents of human–dog conflict. The education department has sought information from schools to file an affidavit before the court. Schools have been instructed to fill in details in an Excel sheet and submit them within two days.

Earlier, in mid-December 2025, the University Grants Commission had issued a similar order asking educational institutions to appoint a nodal officer to keep a watch on stray dogs on campus. A comparable directive issued by the Delhi school education department was later withdrawn following protests.

Teachers’ organisations, however, have strongly opposed the Maharashtra order, saying it shifts civic responsibilities onto educators. The Maharashtra Progressive Teachers Association said tasks such as controlling stray animals, maintaining cleanliness and ensuring campus safety fall within the jurisdiction of municipal corporations and local authorities, not teachers.

“The duty of teachers is to run the education system, not to cover up the inefficiency of the administration,” said association president Tanaji Kamble. He described the order as an insult to the dignity and intelligence of teachers and alleged that Supreme Court directions were being misinterpreted to justify non-academic work.

The association also flagged mental harassment caused by what it called coercive timelines, with schools being asked to submit information by the next day or within a few hours.

Echoing these concerns, former vice-president of the state principals’ association Mahendra Ganpule questioned why teachers are repeatedly chosen for non-teaching tasks. “Driving away or controlling stray dogs is the responsibility of local self-governing bodies. But since teachers have no one to speak for them, all non-academic work is pushed onto them,” he said.