Govt GR linking teacher salary hike to school performance is unconstitutional: MLC Ganar

Nagpur: Teacher unions are up in arms over the state government's decision to tie in teacher promotions and salary hikes with overall performance of school. MLC Nago Ganar called the move unconstitutional and demanded an immediate rollback of the decision.

Vidarbha Shikshak Sangh too threatened a 'massive agitation' if the state education department did not scrap the government resolution issued earlier this week. Even the School Headmasters Charitable Association (SHCA) rallied behind teachers saying the GR was unjustified.

Ganar wrote a strongly worded letter to both chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and school education minister Vinod Tawde demanding an apology to teachers. "A GR that puts conditions on salary hike and promotion has to be thrown in the garbage bin immediately and I will raise this issue in a big way during the Nagpur winter assembly," said Ganar.

The MLC from teachers constituency said the government was "ignorant" and that's the reason for the latest GR. Ganar said, "Problem is that people who prepare guidelines are not aware about the issue at all. The senior and selection grade given to teachers after 12 and 24 years respectively is based on recommendations of the Chattopadhya Committee. Now if only somebody has bothered to read the Committe's report, they would not have even dreamt of connecting salary hikes with school's performance."

According to Ganar, the Chattopadhyaya Committee had acknowledged that there was hardly any scope for promotion to teachers.

He said, "To counter that problem, it was suggested that those completing eight years of service be given senior scale and those with 16 years of service be given selection grade scale. So the salary hikes are basically linked with promotions based on number of years in service."

He added that from January 1, 1986, the state government implemented the recommendations but with modifications. "Instead of eight years it became 12 for senior scale, and for selection grade it went up from 16 to 24 years of service. So there is no connection with how the school performs, it is all about seniority in service," said Ganar. "Since 1986 we have been fighting with the state government to implement Chattopadhyaya's recommendations in toto. But our current government not only ignored our demands but also went ahead and added unconstitutional clauses."

Zafar Khan, founder president of SHCA said "The new condition says school must have A-grade, which in turn depends heavily on infrastructure. Now, how can a teacher control quality of school's infrastructure? It is completely wrong to link salary and promotion to conditions which are unconnected to academics."

VSS' president Purshottam Kadu released a statement saying "massive protests will be organized at every district of Vidarbha if the government fails to act immediately".