Mumbai: Government school teachers across the State are up in arms against the growing number of non-educational chores being forced on them. The teachers’ stir adds to the problems the government is already facing from the State’s irate farming community since several months.
Thousands of teachers protested in front of district collectorates on Saturday against ‘non-educational’ activities, insisting they be allowed to focus on teaching. A coordination committee of 27 organisations, representing teachers, is likely to meet in Mumbai next week to decide on strategy. Subhash More, working president, Shikshak Bharti, an organisation representing teachers, said, “We are teachers, and the government should let us teach instead of forcing non-educational activities on us. The government is harassing teachers [in its employ], from withholding promotions to asking us to do clerical online jobs. The government doesn’t even provide internet facilities.”
Teachers say they are being forced into filing online information for students on government websites, checking if each students’ Aadhaar details are linked, reporting details of the mid-day meal scheme every day to the district headquarters, or even collecting corporate social responsibility funds for upgrading schools, including building toilets. Mr. More said online connectivity is a problem in rural areas, where teachers either have to spend their own money, or skip teaching to do these jobs.
Anti-teacher GR
A government resolution issued on October 23 has halted two promotions given to teachers who have completed 12 and 24 years of service by linking it to the school’s grade. The decision to transfer teachers has created discontent as well. To add to this, there has been no recruitment of teachers in recent times, while existing ones have been asked to teach multiple subjects.
Kishor Darak, an independent researcher in education, said, “Education and Rural Development departments should be more concerned with letting teachers teach, rather than make them do non-educational activities. This is the first time that teachers are coming out against the government, and it is important it understands their anger.”
State Education Minister Vinod Tawde seemed unfazed by the protests. “I am the Education Minister of the State and the teachers’ Minister. Let me be clear that I will give preference to decisions regarding education, than those about promotions or increments,” he said in Pune on Sunday.