BHUBANESWAR: The state government has warned the agitating teachers of primary and upper primary schools for taking mass leave and joining strike without informing competent authorities even as the teachers remain steadfast on their decision to continue the protest till fulfilment of their demands including abolition of contractual appointment, pay hike and pension.
In a letter to district education officers and block education officers, the Director of Elementary Education stated most of the teachers have not taken permission from their competent authorities and participated in the strike which amounts to gross misconduct. The director further stated there should be 220 working days in an academic year and if the same is not achieved during the normal working months, it has to be compensated in the latter part.
The elementary education officials also said a sub-committee has been formed by the state government to examine and discuss the demands in presence of the office bearers of the teachers’ association. After threadbare discussions with the office bearers of the teacher’s association, the committee will recommend its decision to the Inter-ministerial Committee on September 18 for taking final decision on the demands.
The officials said the DEOs and BEOs have been directed to apprise the matter to the teacher associations at the district and block level and ask them to call off their strike and resume duties forthwith in the interest of the students who are being deprived of their right to education. The teachers protesting for the last six days, on the other hand, stuck to their decision and said their protest will continue as long as their demands are not met.
The protest, meanwhile, has hampered teaching as well as mid-day-meal programme in thousands of primary and upper primary schools. The programme has been hampered in at least 65 per cent of elementary schools, claimed members of All Utkal Primary Teachers’ Federation.