Telangana government revokes termination of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidya teachers
HYDERABAD: In a quick u-turn, two days after the Directorate of School Education (DSE) issued a memo terminating the services of over 10,000 teachers employed in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidya (KGBVs) from across the State, the directive has been revoked and teachers reinstated.
Though the contractual teachers of the girls residential school have heaved a sigh of relief, if sources are to be believed, the director and commissioner of school education, G Kishan had been rapped by none other than the education minister, Kadiyam Srihari and education secretary, Ranjeev R Acharya, for meddling into the policy issues that are not even under his purview.
“The minister was angry with the director for issuing termination letters to the teachers at a time when the government is actually considering regularising the services of contractual teachers. Such decisions can only be taken by the government and not an official.
He ordered Kishan to cancel the order,” said the source in the department. Regularisation of the services of contractual teachers and equal pay for equal work are one of the Teachers associations under the Joint Council Teachers Union had decided to stage a protest at the DSE on April 16 which now has been deferred until schools reopen after summer vacations.
“After we brought the matter before the minister and secretary, he himself communicated to us saying that such a decision cannot be taken and that it has been revoked. So all teachers have been reinstated & will join schools from June 2,” Chava Ravi, general secretary, Telangana State United Teachers Federation.
No pay parity
The State has 475 KGBV schools with 11 teaching and 11 non-teaching staff in each school. Being residential schools, teachers rue that the amount of work and the number of working hours, both are very long, and the pay, paltry. While principals in government high school get a salary of Rs 37,000, those at KGBVS draw Rs 27,000. Likewise, regular teachers in government schools get paid Rs 29,000 as against the Rs 20,000 that a subject teacher in residential schools takes home.
No summer salaries this year too
During their last meeting with the education minister, on March 31, JCTU had been assured that teachers would be paid for salaries for summer holidays this year onwards. But the minister recently told teachers association that it may not be possible as the proposal is still under consideration. Over 50,000 teachers and non-teaching staff from across State will participate in a meet on CPS at Nampally on Sunday.