The Punjab School Education Department has issued a strict directive against deploying school teachers and lecturers for non-teaching and administrative duties, saying repeated withdrawal of teachers from classrooms affects teaching, academic continuity and student learning outcomes.In an official communication to all Deputy Commissioners across the state, the Secretary, School Education, directed district and sub-divisional authorities to ensure that teachers are not requisitioned for surveys, verification exercises or miscellaneous administrative assignments.The department said the repeated deployment of teachers for non-academic tasks “seriously affects classroom teaching, academic continuity, and overall student learning outcomes”.Referring to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, scheduled to conclude on September 30, the government acknowledged that teachers had extended full cooperation for the statutory exercise. However, it stressed that their deployment beyond what is required must be curtailed so that they can return to their core teaching duties.Citing Section 27 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, along with relevant judicial rulings, the notification reiterated that teachers can be assigned only three categories of non-educational duties: election-related work, the decennial census and disaster management.Even in these statutory exceptions, the department directed that the deployment of teachers be kept to a bare minimum.District administrations have been instructed to prioritise the use of non-teaching staff and, wherever possible, schedule necessary duties outside school hours or on non-working days. They have also been directed to avoid burdening teachers with multiple district-level assignments simultaneously.The order cautioned that the directions must be followed “strictly in letter and spirit”. It added that any exceptional requirement falling outside the legal framework would require prior approval from the School Education Department.