During the teachers’ protest outside a school in Ludhiana, Friday. (Express Photo)Seven protesting teachers of Ferozepur were issued showcause notice, while four others in Barnala suspended, even as boycott of tests under `Padho Punjab Padhao Punjab’ by them continued on Saturday.
Confirming the development, District Edcuation Officer (DEO) of Ferozepur Nek Singh said he had issued showcause notice to seven teachers. “If their reply is not satisfactory, we will write further to the director general, school education, seeking their termination as they not only boycotted the tests, but also locked school gates from outside.”
Action has been taken in Barnala as well. Four teachers – Chanan Singh, Rekha Rani, Rajwant Kaur and Ramandeep Kaur – have been suspended.
Also, fearing protests, an entire team of Padho Punjab of Sangrur district has given in writing to the DEO that they will not be able to conduct the evaluation tests under present conditions. The staff had been detained in many schools when they had gone to conduct the tests and gheroaed at almost all the places. The staff in other districts such as Mansa, Barnala, Muktsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka have also expressed the fear verbally.
Meanwhile, the contractual teachers, who have been protesting the Punjab government’s regularisation policy, under which they will face a massive pay cut, burnt effigies of Education Secretary Krishan Kumar, stating that the scheme was being forced on the students by him. They alleged that government was not keeping its promises.
Devinder Singh from Sanjha Adhiyapak Morcha said if the government refuses to listen to them, they will go from village to village and tell people to reply back to the Congress government in Lok Sabha polls. Hardeep Singh, a union leader of elementary teachers’ union in Mansa district it was same on Saturday. “Teachers raised slogans against the block primary officers and education department officials, due to which they had to go back. In one school, mobile phones of the protesting teachers had been snatched by the police, but later given back.”
On Friday, the teachers staged protests outside the DEO office in Bhatinda, while in Mansa, the officer was gheraoed when the test was to be conducted. “Protests happened in all the schools where tests were to be taken in Mansa. We also burnt effigies of the education secretary.” said Hardeep.
In Sangrur district, Block Primary Education Officer Paramjit Kaur was made hostage in her office in Sunam block till 6 pm Friday as teachers alleged they were not being heard, said Devinder from Sanjha Adhiyapak Morcha, while in Alipur village of the same district, science supervisor was gheraoed in a school as he came for conducting the test. Four teachers in Sunam also refused to work under this scheme and they put their resignation papers. Out of total 22 schools where tests were to be conducted Friday in Sangrur, it was conducted only in one school, revealed the teachers.
High drama was seen in Burj Sidhwan village in Muktsar district Friday where a teacher alleged that DEO Malkeet Singh had slapped a teacher, Hari Krishan Bathla, of government primary school who is also a union leader. Bathla told the media persons that their Sanjha Adhiyapak Morcha had already stated that they will protest against this scheme. “Hence we lodged our protest. But the DEO slapped me. This is not justified at all.”
DEO Singh, however, stated he had just asked the teacher to stay out of the room where they were conducting the tests. “He was disturbing the students. Tests under this scheme were to be conducted in nine schools of Muktsar, but protests happened in 5-6, including this one. But we have to take tests till March 11.”
The teachers wanted to give their memorandum of demand to the DEO. As he did not accept the same, the SDM took the memorandum. Over 2,500 staff members have been deputed by education department to get curriculum of this scheme implemented and evaluation has to be done till March 11. It started Friday with the primary section.
Apart from regular syllabus, a separate curriculum has been given under the scheme.
