Hundreds of unemployed individuals who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2013 and Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs), those hired temporarily in government schools, have gone on an indefinite hunger strike in Chennai. Teachers have been protesting with their families outside the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) campus in Chennai and the strike entered the sixth day on October 3, Tuesday.
Why are teachers protesting?
The TET candidates are demanding appointment and cancellation of Government Order 149 (G.O), passed by the previous AIADMK government, mandating these candidates to pass another competitive exam and verify their eligibility.
The TET candidates are arguing that those who passed the TET exam needed to take an additional test to be appointed, according to a government order (GO) that took effect in 2018. However, the DMK promised that the 2018 GO would not prevent these teachers from working because they had passed the eligibility test five years before the GO was passed in its 2021 poll promise number 177.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | A large number of teachers continued to protest on the fifth day today, inside the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) campus. Government teachers demanded equal pay, temporary teachers demanded permanent jobs and TET 2013 qualified aspirants… pic.twitter.com/vdg21pjdvr
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2023
"Some of us, including myself, have crossed the age limit (57) to be appointed as a government teacher. An additional problem is that for the second test that the 2018 GO mandates, the upper age limit is 42. Many aspirants have crossed that limit as well,” reported The News Minute, quoting a candidate.
The temporary government school teachers are protesting to get permanent jobs. According to the protestors, Tamil Nadu has not recruited permanent teachers for more than 10 years.
In 2019, the government started appointing temporary teachers who were hired on an 11-month contract but as per the protestors, this contract keeps on getting extended without any signs of permanent jobs, which provides the benefits of being a permanent employee as per the labour codes of India.
According to a report by the New Indian Express as of April 2023, around 10,200 temporary teachers have been working in government schools across the state handling primary to higher secondary classes since December 2022.
The teachers are arguing that Chief Minister MK Stalin's ruling party Dravida Munnetra Kazahagam in the 2021 poll manifesto had promised that part-time art, music and physical education teachers would be considered for permanent employment in the Department of School Education but this promise has not been fulfilled yet.
The protesting teachers have also alleged a delay in payments. A headmaster from a primary school teacher in the Thiruvalluvar region based on anonymity told CNBC-TV18 that her salary of Rs 12,000 has been on a one-month delay since March 2023.
Meanwhile, the SSTA teachers are seeking equal pay for equal work.
For more than 10 years, secondary-grade teachers (have been demanding equal compensation for all teachers hired before and after May 31, 2009, and for there to be no inequality in the salary structure. According to a report by The Indian Express the teachers hired on or after June 1, 2009, receive pay that is Rs. 3,000 less than teachers hired up until May 31, 2009.
SSTA general secretary J Robert in a statement said that the DMK government had said in their poll promise number 311 that 20,000 teachers appointed on or before May 31, 2009, are to receive equal wages as their colleagues appointed after them but this hasn't been fulfilled despite repeated protests by the teachers, as reported by The News Minute.
Additionally, ANI reported that more than 70 teachers were taken to a hospital from the protest site due to the deterioration of their health.
What has the government said?
Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the minister of school education, in Tamil Nadu, stated on Monday that the government has held three rounds of meetings and that he does not view this as a protest but rather a mechanism for teachers to garner attention, reported Indian Express.
"We have brought the current protest to the attention of the Chief Minister’s office as well. We have assured them that we will implement their demands in such a way that they do not lead to financial crunch,” he said.
Meanwhile, Robert while addressing a media gathering on Monday said that the protestors want the government to provide them with the pay at least from the New Year and not immediately.
"We want the Chief Minister to announce that, until then our protests will continue,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies, picture credit - ANI)
(Edited by : Amrita)
First Published: Oct 3, 2023 4:42 PM IST
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