II PU teachers’ strike ends ‘painfully’

BANGALORE: Pre-university college lecturers ended their four-day boycott of II-PUC answer script evaluations “painfully” on Monday, signalling relief for parents and students in the state. The
Pre-university college lecturers staging a protest at the Freedom Park in Bangalore on  Monday demanding the removal of discrepancies in salaries | Ji
Pre-university college lecturers staging a protest at the Freedom Park in Bangalore on Monday demanding the removal of discrepancies in salaries | Ji

BANGALORE: Pre-university college lecturers ended their four-day boycott of II-PUC answer script evaluations “painfully” on Monday, signalling relief for parents and students in the state. The lecturers will report to evaluation duty from Tuesday. The decision to revoke the boycott came on Monday after a two-hour core-committee meeting between members of Karnataka State Pre-University College Teachers’ Association and Karnataka State Pre-University PU College Principals’ Association.

“We withdraw our boycott with great pain, which is also unconditional, as we expect nothing from the government. We have not benefited from the four-day boycott... we reached this decision at the insistence of our mentors, thinkers and other supporters,” said president of Teachers’ Association Thimmaiah Purle.

He added that it was the responsibility of the lecturers to ensure early announcement of results. “Parents and students have nothing to worry about now. We will ensure evaluations are done in a proper manner,” he assured. Evaluators close to the centres will report on Tuesday, where as those who have returned to their hometowns will report on Wednesday.

The boycott affected the II PUC evaluations that started on April 7, with 37 centres in the state functioning without full strength. Hence, the results, which were to be out by April 26, will be delayed by at least a week. “We had great expectations from the government in the state budget. Pay Commissions come only once in six years, and we wanted the wage discrepancies to be removed,” said president of Principals’ Association K R Srikanthe Gowda.  

More than 1,000 lecturers gathered at the Freedom Park on Monday. This was followed by a meeting with Primary and Secondary Education Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Council Chairman D H Shankaramurthy.

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