Their demands are genuine, and the government needs to focus its attention to solve them immediately. The strike by the teachers of Model School, which entered the third day on Monday, attracted flak from parents and people at large in view of the forthcoming SSC and Intermediate examinations.
While the District Educational Officer and other authorities concerned warned them of action if they failed to join duties forthwith keeping in mind the interests of students, the striking teachers stuck to their guns and did not budge at all. Both sides are justifying their stand.
“We are not on strike, but we will certainly support it as our demands did not come all of a sudden. Our teachers have repeatedly been representing them to the government since the last six months, but to no avail. Authorities should have solved them long ago,” said Bhanumathi, principal, Model School, Sadasivanagar.
T. Lingamaiah, a teacher who is on a relay hunger strike under a marquee before his school, bemoaned that even the service rules were not framed till date, let alone the execution of other demands.
When Interim DA was given, why is the10th PRC recommendations not being implemented, said another teacher K. Rajender.
On the other hand, DEO K. Lingaiah, who is reportedly worried about the strike just before the beginning of the annual public examinations, warned them that the government would even initiate criminal proceedings against the striking teachers if they did not come back to duty. He was of the opinion that it was highly unethical to teachers to go on strike at this moment.
There are 15 model schools in the district and some 14,500 students are studying in them.
As many as 239 teachers are working there. In the State, as many as 182 schools were established under the Centrally-sponsored Rashtriya Madhyamika Siksha Abhiyan (RMSA) scheme, and in which a total of 90,000 students are pursuing education.
The result-oriented duty put an enormous burden on the teaching staff which often proves to be painful to them.
Ever since the BJP-led NDA government came to power it had cut funding to the RMSA to dilute the system, transferring the responsibility of running the schools to the State government. T
hus, the fate of these schools, which are considered premier educational institutions, hangs in balance.
Questioning who is to blame for the situation, C. Praveenkumar, principal of Model School at Armoor, said, “Teachers working at our schools are discriminated against in respect to the sanction of Telangana increment, issue of health cards, salary through 010 account and Pran Number.”
The DEO has warned striking teachers that the government would initiate criminal proceedings if they don’t come back
to duty
