Teachers to be appointed nodal officers in stray dog-related matter; associations raise concerns
New Delhi (PTI): 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 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.
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.
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.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
