Unions to boycott Teacher’s Day celebrations in Andhra Pradesh

VIJAYAWADA: Teachers’ Unions have given a call to boycott the Teachers’ Day celebrations on September 5. They also urged teachers not to receive the best teachers’ awards on the day in protest against the launch of the face recognition app for registering attendance and filing cases against teachers.

Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation State president G Hrudayaraju appealed to the teachers to boycott the Teachers’ Day celebrations to be organised by the state government. He alleged that the government was harassing them in the name of various apps. Teachers should be given freedom in the classroom. He also alleged that the face app for registering attendance of teachers was an infringement on personal freedom.

“Jagan had promised to cancel CPS within a week after coming to power, but even after three year, it remains unfulfilled. It is atrocious to file non-bailable cases against teachers without committing any crime,” Telugu Nadu Upadyaya Sangam (TNUS) State president Mannam Srinivas said and called upon teachers to stay away from the Teacher’s Day celebrations.

Noble Teachers Association State president  Apparao Mukala stated that the state government was harassing teachers. He said association members will stay from the award function.“Registering attendance with teachers’ mobile phones is against their right to privacy,” he said and demanded that the government arrange a separate instrument in every school for registering attendance.

Meanwhile, the United Teachers Federation state president N Venkateswarlu said asking teachers to use their own mobile phones for registering their attendance is not acceptable. The teachers are not ready to use the app, he said and demanded that the government address the alleged glitches in the app. 

Progressive Teachers  Union state president demanded the government withdraw the cases filed against the teachers as the unions have withdrawn the Millenium March against the Contributory Pension Scheme on September 1.

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of Teachers Organisations chairman  Kesavarapu Jali Reddy stated that they were condemning the boycott call of Teachers day celebrations to be organised by the state government. He stated that one should respect the feelings of those who applied for the best teachers award and attend the award function to congratulate the winners.