HYDERABAD: Over 2,000 contractual employees of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidya (KGBVs) and Urban Residential Schools gharoed the Directorate of School Education on Saturday, over their long pending demand of regularisation and equal pay for equal work. The three-hour long protest call was given by Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) and saw participation from teaching and non-teaching staff from across the state.
“Though the Chief Minister had promised to regularise all contractual staff, it has not happened till now. In addition, we are also demanding for equal pay for equal work as per the Supreme Court guidelines. These teachers work at par with the regular teachers but their pay is way lesser,” said Chavva Ravi, secretary of TSUTF. While principals in government high school get a salary of `37,000, the special officers at KGBVS draw `27,000. Likewise, the regular teachers in government schools get paid `29,000 as against the `20, 000 that a subject teacher in residential schools takes home. Other teachers like physical education teacher get paid only `11, 000.
Being residential schools, teachers rue that the amount of work and the number of working hours, both are very long, and the pay, paltry. “Unlike regular teaching jobs, this is not an 8 am to 3 pm job. On days we have night duty, a teacher spends 36 hours in the school. We not only have to teach but also give extra attention to every child away from home. This is the reason why KGBV results are so good,” Geeta Rani, a KGBV teacher from Jagityal told Express.
“Since most of these residential schools are away from cities, snakes and scorpions bites are common. Teachers, who are all women, expect the night watchman, have to rush them to often rush students to hospitals even late at nights. And for all this, there is no job security and the pay is disproportionate,” she added.
Unlike regular teachers who can avail six months of paid maternity leaves, these teachers have to resume work in the fifth month itself. Some begin even earlier since the maternity period is unpaid. Though they have a provision of 15 casual leaves, availing more than one a month is marked as loss of pay.
Teachers are also demanding that they should be paid for 12 months, including summer vacation. In addition, teachers are also demanding the recruitment of a special teacher to ease off their academic burden particularly close to final examinations.
teachers allege insult by director
Hyderabad: A meeting called by the Director and Commissioner of School Education on Saturday to discuss draft academic calendar for 2018-19 was abruptly called off soon after it commenced, after irked teachers alleged that officials insulted them. According to a statement issued by teachers association under the banner of Joint Action Committee of Teachers Organisations(JACTO), the director distributed false media reports. When JACTO questioned the director, he shrugged it off saying that is not his fault. When they questioned that it is not right to demean and insult teachers, he postponed meet to January 15.