Junior college teachers demand four years' pay

It seems that once again the assessment process of the HSC examination is going to get affected as the Junior College Teachers Association has started protesting against the government's ignorance towards giving them their rights. Nearly 3,000 teachers of junior colleges have not been paid their salaries since 2012, as their appointments are yet to be approved by the government. The Association has planned to start a ‘Jail Bharo' agitation in January, after which if their demands were not met, then they would boycott the assessment system.

What has led to the problem is a major misinterpretation of the government's directives. Four years back, the government had asked local education officers and the deputy director of education to adjust the surplus teachers in different junior colleges. But what they interpreted was that there would not be any more appointments in such colleges. Hence, colleges have not received approval for the teachers appointed since then.

No option left
General secretary of the Association, Anil Deshmukh said, "The government has left us with no options. Is it really serious about raising education standards? If so many teachers are not paid their salaries, then no one would want to take up teaching as a profession."

A teacher Nilesh Ghume said, "My appointment was done through a proper procedure. Yet the government is dillydallying in giving approval."