BHUBANESWAR: Thousands of teachers and non-teaching staff belonging to 1,983 block-grant schools have decided to observe Teachers’ Day as a black day. Teachers of these schools will stage demonstrations in front of the collectorates on Monday as a part of the agitation. Ignoring the State Government’s ultimatum to reopen the schools, block grant teachers have decided to intensify their agitation by involving students and guardians. Earlier, School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena threatened to stop aid to these schools unless they are reopened immediately. The State Government had issued a similar ultimatum on August 6, but the teachers are unfazed. P K Mohapatra, president of Block Grant Secondary School Teachers and Employees Association, said till Sunday the teachers, school employees, students and their parents took part in padayatras across the State, demanding abolition of block grant system and introduction of grants-in-aid like aided schools. The teachers had staged a 10-day dharna in the city, coinciding with the 10-day Assembly session, from August 17. The association claims that around 4 lakh students are studying in these high schools. “Our students have been neglected for decades. Facilities like supply of free dresses, bicycles, textbooks, science equipment, sports materials and library are not being provided,” Mohapatra said. Besides, teachers and non-teaching staff were paid miserably. “A trained graduate teacher gets ` 4,995 a month and a class IV employee gets ` 2,548 without any service benefits. Several teachers have retired even without getting ` 3,000 a month,” he said. From 2007, the association had been raising the issue at various forums, the association president said. Mohapatra said the association was planning a mass agitation in Bhubaneswar after September 10.KV TEACHERS: Likewise, over a lakh teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas across the State and the Demonstration Multipurpose (DM) School under NCERT here would also observe the Teachers’ Day as a black day protesting apathy of HRD Ministry. They said though their genuine demands have been acknowledged, they are yet to be implemented. They are demanding immediate implementation of Modified Assured Career Scheme (MACP) at regular intervals of 10, 20 and 30 years of service with upgradation of pay and other allowances, status of assistant professor to teachers with Post-graduate qualification, enhancement of superannuation age from 60 to 65 and incentives to teachers with MEd and PhD qualifications. The teachers have threatened to hit streets if their demands are not met within a month.
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