Different teaching groups' agitation continues

DEHRADUN: Unemployed teachers under the aegis of Shiksha Acharya Association plan to intensify their agitation and have even threatened self-immolation. The members said that they will apprise the city administration of their plans about October 17 on Monday.
The teachers have been out of jobs since June 2012 and have been regularly protesting for their one point demand of being adjusted as Shiksha Mitras in the government schools of the state.
Speaking to TOI, Ramakrishna Mamgain, media in-charge of Shiksha Acharya Association, “There are 910 Shiksha Acharyas who want to be hired on the posts of Shiksha Mitras and have been agitating since past four years. We have now decided to be ready for any step including self-immolation, if soon a government order considering our candidature on the post of Shiksha Mitra is not released. We will be updating the administration and government about our intense agitation plans on Monday.”
Adding to which, Mamgain said, “We have taken to the streets to gather support of the people of the city and we have been sitting on agitation daily. Everybody in our association has been asked to head to the state capital by October 17 after which our agitation will be intensified."
These members are planning to protest daily till October 16 and gain support from city residents before taking their agitation to the next level on the following day.
Shiksha Acharyas were earlier employed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in remote and inaccessible areas of the state. Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) centres were also opened under SSA and these teachers/instructors were posted in them. The government, however, later decided to shut these centres in a phased manner from 2008 and by March 31, 2012 all such centres were closed. It is learnt that the government adjusted some of the unemployed instructors Shiksha Mitras in primary schools but 910 are still out of any regular employment for the last four years and seeking employment claiming that cabinet has already cleared the proposal to adjust them as Shiksha Mitras and all that remains is a government order to be released.
Meanwhile, members of Junior High School Shikshak Sangh have also convened a meeting which is likely to be held on October 17 to strategize about their 'Jail Bharo Andolan' as their demand of introduction of a three-tier cadre system for teachers has still not being addressed.