New Delhi: In a situation that is serious yet comic, the education department in Bihar’s Jamui district withheld the salaries of 13 teachers for absenteeism on grounds of “bed performance,” which was a typographical oversight that should have been “bad performance.” The error triggered protests from teachers’ unions, according to the Times of India.
The incident occurred on May 22, when education department officials inspected numerous Jamui schools and discovered innumerable teachers absent and several more functioning poorly.
निरीक्षण कार्य से अनुपस्थित तथा *Bed Performance करने वाले टोला सेवक का वेतन कटा। पैसे देकर एजेंसी द्वारा बहाल डाटा एंट्री ऑपरेटर हाल देखिए.. 🤦 pic.twitter.com/A0OcIwPKHy
— Educators of Bihar (@BiharTeacherCan) May 23, 2024
The local district education officer (DEO) issued a formal letter outlining the disciplinary procedures taken against the teachers. However, the inaccurate use of the term “bed performance” immediately came to notice on social media, appearing to blame the department rather than the teachers.
After the letter circulated online, the DEO’s office issued an explanation. They explained the inaccuracy as a typographical error and acknowledged that the intended term was “bad performance.” Despite the correction, the mistake had already provoked criticism and condemnation from several teaching groups.
The letter detailed disciplinary actions taken against a total of 16 teachers. Specifically, three teachers were penalised for being absent during inspections, while 13 others had their salaries deducted for unsatisfactory performance, News18 reported.
