Teachers’ front stages district-level protests
On the Teacher’s Day today, unrest was witnessed among the teaching fraternity as they took out protests against the state government on various pending issues. On the occasion, the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) organised district-level protests.
While it was drizzling, the district unit of the DTF gathered under the leadership of Daljit Samrala, district president; Harjit Singh Sudhar, district general secretary; Arvinder Singh Bhangu and Sukhjinder Singh. The leaders strongly criticised the state government’s policies regarding financial demands of the teachers, students and schools. The leaders also condemned the allegedly ‘statistical only’ project called competence enhancement plan (CEP).
They said the ruling party leaders, in the form of a manifesto, had expressed sympathy for the long-pending demands and had promised that after coming to power, they would help strengthen public education sector. “But those promises have not been kept till date. It seems education is on the least priority list of the present government,” a DTF leader said. The demands raised by the gathering, through the Ludhiana DC to the CM, included restoration of old pension, restoration of 37 allowances including rural allowance, release of outstanding instalments of dearness allowance, regularisation of computer teachers working under societies, NSQF vocational trainers working under outsourced companies, teachers of the Meritorious Schools, IERT employees, data entry operators, accountants working in education offices and all associate teachers in the Education Department by giving all financial and service-related benefits as per the Sixth Pay Commission and Punjab Civil Service Rules, and other financial and infra-structure demands.
The teachers demanded to stop chaotic implementation of projects-based ineffective statistical only plan of the CEP. Besides, the organisation demanded the state government to exempt the Board examination fees, certificate fees and other penalties charged from students at unreasonable rates and raised voice to simplify the process of applying for student scholarships.
