VIJAYAWADA: While Anganwadi workers and municipal workers are staging indefinite strike across the State, on Monday, municipal teachers also came forward to voice their dissent against GO 84, which merged them into the education department. Municipal school teachers staged a protest under the auspices of the Municipal Teachers Federation (MTF) during their lunch break, demanding the government to cancel GO 84.
It can be recalled that the municipal schools were brought under the supervision of the Education Department from June 24, 2022, through GO 84. The municipal teachers alleged that the implementation of the GO has led to harassment by the education department.
In addition to this, the government has cancelled 17 Municipal IIT schools (Advanced Foundation Course schools), and Career Foundation Course (CFC) Classes, which were implemented during the previous government’s tenure to conduct special classes for maths and science for one hour in the evenings. It was also alleged that the education department has abolished the practice of conducting weekly examinations, the practice which helps teachers to assess a student’s ability in a particular chapter.
Speaking to TNIE, Municipal Teachers Federation state president S Ramakrishna said, “Only the municipal department has the legal authority to take actions on municipal teachers. Due to GO 84, from June 24, 2022, the education department issued show cause notices and suspension orders to municipal teachers, but that authority is vested only with the Regional Director of Municipal Administration (RDMA).”
He further alleged that the cadre strength of municipal teachers has also been changed within the scope of the education department illegally. “Instead of filling the vacancies of teachers in municipal high schools, ZP teachers have been deputed to municipal teachers for a year. Transfers and promotions have been halted for three years for municipal teachers but are being continued to ZP teachers every year,” he alleged.
MTF woman wing president B Henna said, “Municipal teachers were deprived of MEO and DYEO promotions. Salaries and service matters of municipal teachers were handed over to ZP MEOs instead of the heads of the institutions. The education department stopped giving PF subscriptions to municipal teachers for a year.”