Teachers boycott classes, govt schools remain shut

Mysuru: The government primary schools in the district remained closed on Tuesday as many teachers boycotted classes demanding fulfillment of their various demands. However, deputy director of public instructions Panduranga said that all the schools remained open and only a few teachers took part in protests.
According to the office-bearers of district teachers association, the schools remained closed as part of the boycott call. “We had informed parents about the closure yesterday itself and requested them not to send their children today,” said a teacher who participated in a protest rally in the city.
An officer from the DPI confirmed that the schools remained closed. “Many schools had announced a holiday on Monday itself. However, private schools remained open. It is absenteeism by the teachers,” said an officer from the DPI.
However, DDPI Panduranga said that only a few teachers turned up for the protest while the rest of them remained in the school. “They submitted a memorandum to us and the deputy commissioner,” he said.
Meanwhile, the teachers took out a protest march and shouted slogans against the government for its alleged “anti-teachers rules”. They staged a dharna infront of the DDPI office and later met deputy commissioner Abhiram G Sankar and submitted a memorandum.
K B Somegowda, general secretary of the district teachers association said that if the state government fails to fulfill their demand, they will boycott teachers’ day celebrations on September 5 and lay siege to Vidhana Soudha. “We also want to retain the old pension scheme which provides social security to the teachers and their families,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government schools remained shut in other districts of south Karnataka also. The teachers held a protest in Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Madikeri, Mandya, Shivamogga and Chamarajanagar districts. They submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioners of respective districts and sought immediate intervention by the government.