‘State should ensure solution soon or Class XII results could be delayed’. Express Photo by Sandip Daundkar/Files
The Junior College Teachers Association has refused to submit corrected answersheets of HSC exams unless the state issues a Government Resolution (GR) clearing all their pending demands. Earlier, members of the association had refused to correct answersheets of Class XII students for several weeks.
Anil Deshmukh, president of the Maharashtra Federation of Junior College Teachers Association, which is leading the agitation of teachers, said the moderators had as many as 80 lakh corrected answersheets.
“Another 15 lakh answersheets are yet to be corrected and the work is going on. But we have already informed the state education minister and the school board that the moderators will hand them over only after a GR is issued about several demands, which had been accepted. Now, the state education department has to ensure that a solution is offered soon, or else it could delay Class XII results…,” he said.
This year, a day before the Class XII Board examination was set to begin on February 21, the association had threatened to boycott the evaluation of answersheets unless their demands were met. It had presented a list with 24 unfulfilled demands to State Education Minister Vinod Tawde. After several meetings, the government issued a GR accepting some of the demands and assured that in the next couple of days, a decision would be taken on the other issues.
The demands include issuing the new list of unaided colleges which are now eligible for aid, orders to fill up 171 new teaching posts, selection grade pay to be given to teachers who have completed 24 years of service, and application of the old pension scheme to teachers appointed after November 1, 2005, among others.
“Some of these demands were met… the government issued a list of 146 colleges eligible for aid. But there are a total of 1,350 such colleges and no list was released after that. There were promises about fulfiling other demands also, but they are still pending. We had already told them that we will continue the agitation if they do not keep their word… even though teachers have started evaluating the answersheets, they will remain with the moderators,” said Deshmukh.
Despite repeated calls, Maharashtra State and Higher Secondary Education Board Chairperson Shakuntala Kale wasn’t available for comment, while secretary Krishnakumar Patil did not respond to queries.