Teachers resent rationalisation move, say decision step towards ‘privatisation’

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 3

Teachers under the banner of Sanjha Teachers Morcha held a protest at the Mini Secretariat here today against the wrong policies of the Education Department and state government. The protesting teachers burnt the effigy of the government for abolishing the posts of teachers in government schools.

The teachers said under the rationalisation move, the posts of teachers were being abolished whereas there was dire need of teachers for various subjects in all the schools.

Teachers are up in the arms against the state government for abolishing the posts of various subjects in schools under the garb of rationalisation. Irked over the apathetic attitude of the government, the teachers said it was a move towards ‘privatisation’ as the posts were abolished from primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools.

A delegation of Democratic Teachers Front, SSA, RMSA and representatives from several other teachers unions held an agitation and protested outside the DEO office here yesterday.

Hardev Singh Mullanpur, president, Democratic Teachers Front, said the state government had abolished thousands of posts from government schools, giving a jolt to the serving and aspiring teachers. He said that the smart school concept was a farce while the reality was that the government was keen to provide everything in the hands of private players.

The teachers said there was dire need of teachers in government schools to teach various subjects as posts were lying vacant. But instead of recruiting more staff, posts were being abolished, which means that ultimately the poor and needy students would suffer. They demanded immediate revoke of this else intense agitation would be the outcome.