BENGALURU: Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda will lead a protest organised by the Teacher’s and Management Forum on Wednesday, demanding a special package for an estimated 4.5 lakh unaided school teachers and guest lecturers across the State. Members of teachers’ associations, and MLCs from teachers’ constituencies will gather at Gandhi statue near Maurya Circle at 11am on Wednesday.
With the pandemic affected jobs and incomes and causing schools in the State to be shut for nearly six months, the financially strained private schools have passed on the burden to staff, either taking them off the rolls or slashing pay.
Some teachers and their families have been struggling for two square meals a day, the forum members said, adding it was high time that the government reached out to them. Niranjanaradhya V P, programme head, Universalisation of Education at National Law School of India University, Bengaluru told TNIE, “There is no entitlement by the government to the private schools. Students are shifting from private schools to government schools and this could have irked some,” he said.