Minister must withdraw �anti-teacher� remarks if he wants talks: teacher body
GUWAHATI, Nov 19 - The Assam State Lower Primary Teacher Association (ASLPTA) today announced that it will not sit for a meeting with Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya until and unless he withdraws the �anti-teacher� remarks he made recently over the midday meal issue.
The ASLPTA made its decision known in a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal here. Earlier, the Education Minister had invited the organisation for a meeting on November 20 to discuss their various issues.
In the memorandum, the ASLPTA urged Sonowal to take necessary steps within 10 days to stop the �anarchy�, as alleged by the organisation, which has been prevailing in the education system of the State for the past few days.
According to the organisation, problems concerning both students and teachers have been increasing day by day in the State. Citing some examples, it alleged that the students did not get free textbooks during the 2019 academic year. Although the organisation has approached the State government on the issue, it has not got any proper reply till date.
It further alleged that though the education department provided free practice books to the students during the last part of the 2019 academic year, many schools remained deprived of availing the benefit.
Supply of free uniforms also has been discontinued during 2018-19, the ASLPTA alleged in the memorandum.
Meanwhile, the ASLPTA alleged that the education department could not publish the proper results of the Gunotsav held during 2018, with many students who had taken part in the assessment drive, yet to get their marksheets.
The ASLPTA pointed out in the memorandum that the State government is yet to take any step to address the issues which were detected during the Gunotsav, like many schools of the State still running with one teacher or without a single teacher.
Curtailment of grade pay of graduate lower primary teachers was also pointed out in the memorandum. The organisation alleged that though the Chief Minister had earlier announced to carry out a probe into the issue, the education department has not published the probe report till date.
Even head teachers of lower primary schools of Assam still remain deprived of facilities as per the Seventh Pay Commission, the organisation alleged. Similarly, the issue of contractual teachers has also remained unaddressed. All these problems have ultimately led to violation of the Right to Education Act in the State, it alleged.
