Teachers’ forums to stage protests on Saturday

The pro-CPI(M) Kerala School Teachers’ Association (KSTA), the National Teachers’ Union (NTU) and a joint forum of teachers will organise protests on Saturday raising a slew of demands.

One of the most significant demands of the KSTA is scientific reorganisation of the school academic calendar for this year. Coming out against the calendar in which the number of working days has been increased to 220 and 16 Saturdays that are the sixth working day in a week made working days, the KSTA has alleged that it has been brought out unilaterally without any discussions with education activists, students, teachers, or parents.

Other demands of the KSTA include prevention of communalisation of the education sector in the country, scrapping of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Act, withdrawal of the contributory pension scheme, and sanctioning of dearness allowance and pay revision arrears

The KSTA Secretariat march and dharna will be inaugurated by CITU State unit president T.P. Ramakrishnan. Protests will also be organised in the districts.

NTU protest

The NTU will organise dharnas in front of offices of assistant education officers (AEOs) demanding a relook at the education calendar for the academic year; sanctioning of benefits such as dearness allowance, leave surrender, and pay revision arrears; withdrawal of contributory pension; revision of Medisep with inclusion of government share; hike in midday meal rates; and ensuring job security for teachers. NTU State and district leaders will lead the protests.

Joint forum stir

Besides withdrawal of the academic calendar, sanctioning of dearness allowance and pay revision arrears and withdrawal of contributory pension, dropping the decision on integration of school education and ‘correction’ of policies that are allegedly destroying the education sector are some of the demands that will be raised during a one-day fast to be organised in front of the Directorate of General Education.

Congress leader K. Muraleedharan will inaugurate the fast. Socio-political leaders will address the protesters.