Agartala, Jan 2 (IANS): The Tripura government will take stern action against 'proxy' teachers and their employers in government and government-aided schools, an education department official said here Friday.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, during a meeting here Thursday, asked education department officials to take strict action against 'proxy' teachers and their employers.

"In recent months, 38 government school teachers have been dismissed from service for engaging 'proxy' teachers in schools in remote and hilly areas," the official said.

It has been observed that the government school teachers posted in schools located in remote and hilly areas usually engage proxy teachers. They do it so that they are free to run some business or work at their preferred place.

According to Tripura school education department director Pradip Chakraborty, around 1,500 government school teachers were either suspended or other action was taken against them last year for neglecting their duties.

He said the state government has taken a series of measures, to be effective from this academic session, to ensure 85 percent attendance of students and 100 percent attendance of teachers in a bid to improve the quality of education in Tripura.

He also said that "a continuous and comprehensive evaluation (CCE) would be undertaken from this year up to standard eight instead of the conventional examinations".

Under the Right to Education Act, 2009, it is mandatory that every child who completes his or her education till standard eight be awarded a certificate as per the education department's format after conducting CCE at regular intervals.