India: Teachers meet Education Minister, settle few demands

Asia/India/Tribune News Service

Resumen: Se ha producido un deshielo en el enfrentamiento entre militantes del Sindicato de Maestros de gobierno y el Ministro de Educación del gobierno Indio, al aceptar una reunión para discutir varias demandas claves que mantienen a los maestros del estado asediado por diversos temas. Un terreno común se ha encontrado en varios temas controvertidos para el Departamento de Educación, incluyendo  las promociones oportunas de maestros, la asignación de licencias médicas de emergencia y la dotación oportuna de los libros – entre otras cuestiones.

 

There has been a thaw in the stand-off between activists of the Government Teachers Union and the government with the Education Minister agreeing to several key demands today, which were keeping teachers of the state embattled on various issues. A common ground has been found on several controversial issues of the Education Department, including timely teacher promotions, allocation of emergency medical leaves and timely disbursal of books – among other issues, on which the state was previous seeing the teachers taking up cudgels against the government.

Several long-pending and key demands of the teachers of the state were agreed upon in a meeting of the Government Teachers Union with the Education Minister here today. While an assurance regarding the meeting of some of these demands – especially regarding granting of medical leaves, provision of school books till July 20 and implementation of the 4-9-14 scheme, have formally been provided, the Education Minister has also said the rest shall be ensured soon.

As per the 4-9-14 scheme, a teacher’s promotion report was to be revised and a new promotion granted every five years. An agreement was also reached regarding a fair allocation of medical leaves. Teachers have been demanding to avail their medical leaves as and when required, while as per a government notice, they were supposed to be given medical leaves of 15 days together, which was leading to chaos as in case of mild illnesses or emergencies, teachers were being forced to avail leaves of 15 days.

Other demands of teachers agreed on the occasion included – receipt of children’s books by July 20 (and next year’s to be ensured at least by January 31), online systems for availing all kinds of leaves, DPC regarding teachers’ promotions to be held every six months, electricity bills of schools be given directly to the electricity board by the government rather than through teachers.

Other demands included suspension of non-teaching works, transfer-related rules to be implemented as per the red book of 1978, contractual teachers and office employees be regularised soon, all office works of teachers be made timely, special priority be given to the regularisation of 3442/7654 cases, 5178 teachers to be regularised soon, rationalisation not to be restricted to a certain cadre, pre-primary classes be started soon and 25 per cent direct promotion cases to be sought soon.

Jarnail Singh, district president of the Government Teachers Union, who was present for the meeting, said, “We have received assurance on these key demands and with the timely promotions of teachers and clearance regarding books and leaves received, many of the key grouses are expected to be addressed. We have also received positive indications regarding these from education secretary Mr Krishan Kumar, whom we shall meet on Tuesday. The intentions of the government seem inclined towards constructive change, at least as of now.”

Fuente: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jalandhar/teachers-meet-education-minister-settle-few-demands/432415.html