DSE and employees Association The birth of DES employees Association is the germination of simmering discontent, brewing of suppressed, pent up emotions that have now found an outlet after years of DSE establishment.. The Association of teaching and non teaching employees must be seen as a legitimate exercise to express fearlessly their legitimate rights and grievances. Hence it should be seen not as a confrontational entity but rather as facilitators of genuine causes.. Employees at times,often have to meekly submit to subjective diktats under threat to resign with an overbearing attitudes of authorities and with Ex Offico Chairman and President of DSE not normally interfering, to mediate even on appeal.. There is at present no redressal mechanism in the vast organisation. What then is the remedy against absolute authoritarian streaks? In order to bring objectivity, transparency and dialogue this organization is to be welcomed and office bearers treated with due respect and not with arrogance and disdain , if press reports are to be belived as authentic .The appointment of a special committee to scrutinize, recommend child care is no consolation, a fruitless exercise of bureaucracy to hide behind cloak of delay and denial and has no legitimacy whatsoever.
There are contentious issues and denial on Child care leave, a social beneficial legislations conferred by Govt. specillay for women in the family must not be overidden.. There cannot be rules within rules in compliance with unambiguous directives, which puts no restrictive clauses and scope for misinterpretations and subjectivity, The C.M, an ex teacher himself and in his capacity as Minister of Education is on record expressing displeasure at the injustice, when the Govt, is totally committed to the additional financial expenditure on substitute teacher salary and maitenace grants. The only requirement should be sufficient notice to make arrangements before the employee proceeds on leave and handing over the charge. The appointment of committee by DSE to scrutinize such request is totally misplaced and indicative of hardened attitude towards its employees. It may be pertinent to state that the Secretary absents himself too frequently on foreign trips over 2/3 months instead of a month, at the beginning of crucila academic session, while replacing those who leave to beat the harsh weather conditions. His sanctioned ecclesiastical leave for personal enrichment with no bearing on administration is a hindrance to smooth functioning during this most crucial period. .Decision are postponed, kept in abeyance till his return There is no consolation or merit of substitute arrangements, who have no authority to take decisons and if substitutes can do the job, the position of the Secretary is reduntant.The record in contrasts of leave availed by late Secretary Rev, Canon Antimo is an example in moral rectitude and self imposed restrictions in larger interests of administration, Who is more germane to the vital administration one may question- a Secretary with no restrictions on personal leave of absence, controlling number of Institutions at primary, secondary, higher secondary and college level or some non discrete employee in one institution? Indispensability of an employee vis a vis the privilege to leave by the Secretary is a the most flimsy excuse to stomach and least convincing.. The discretion, if any must be reasonably justified , convincing and addressed to facilitate and not to absolute reject with impunity of authority. That some employees were forced to knock at the doors of Courts to seek redressal shows the height of insensitivity driving a wedge and seeding soured relationships not conducive to progress Over the years a committee should have been apointed to deal with serious contentious issues like service conditions related to transfers, promotions. all types of Leave , define roles and duties of Heads, Mangers, DSE to avoid areas of conflict management that are a festering problems in smooth administration. The lines of separation must be clearly specified with no scope of intrpretaions and discretions as far as possible. The appointment letters then did refer to service conditions prepared by Fr Antimo , but were not included as a part of appointment order and such service conditions should not be in variance with directives of Education department. These service conditions should be revisited to avoid partiality, favoritism, subjectivity so that perception of threats , victimization , punishment are relegated to the background and any such exercise shoould be perceived sa fair just and eqitable. The heart burning issue of transfers need to me clearly spelt out,,made more humane with due considerations and understanding of length of service at one station, distances involved in travelling, family and health problems ,as a merciful catholic arm of the Church . Transfers visualized, perceived as punishments will curb spontaneous contributions and hardening of attitudes in retaliation, where co operation is key component of all progress.,Rev. Canon Saturnino Dias during his brief stint as then President of DSE made a valiant attempt to revisit the roles and functions of Secretary, President to meet the exigencies of time and so did Canon Antimo in spite of attempts to malign their sincere intentions to remedy and strengthen situations of administrations objectively and meanigful. President of DSE appears to be a more ornamental figure head as defined It is aappraise worthy, well thought effort of appreciating, recognizing publicly the services of its employees and also facilitating meritorious students of DSE s giving all a sense of belonging to and to be proud of the parent organization. thus fostering the spirit of unity .The DSE controls a large number of institutions and employees.. It must appoint a committee to encourage,,apply at DSE level, for prestigious State and National teacher awards in all categories, then scrutinise, recommend , forward applications with comments at DSE that will definitely have weight of considerations. Associations of DSE, teaching and non teaching employees are docile and non militant ,not trade unions in their approach and must be encouraged to understand mutual concerns of legitimacy, but are primarily established to further the objective causes of its members within the expressed frame work of regulations Misinterpreting their roles and intentions in a democratic country will be counter productive in the field of Education and will also lead to proliferation of undesirable students unions which may be a thorn in the flesh Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim