‘Service extension change affects students’

According to P K Illamaran, president, Tamil Nadu Teachers Association, the School Education Department had implemented the extension scheme since the retirement of teachers in the middle of the academic year may affect the studies of students during that period.

“The decision to scrap the extension granted to teachers will not only affect students, but also pose difficulties for the government to appoint new teachers at that point of time,” he added.

Stating that those whose services got extended will not receive full payment, Illamaran said new appointees may find it tough to communicate with the students.

Echoing similar views, P B Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, alleged that the government is not bothered about the students.

Slamming the government’s decision, he said: “Why should it target only the teaching staff when it spends a lot of money for other purposes?”

Stating that it only wants to curtail the expenses by reducing the teaching strength, he said teachers should not be compared with other government staff. “Unlike other retiring staff of government departments, a teacher must be in touch with his/her students. 

The latter may not be able to strike an immediate rapport with the teachers newly appointed,” Prince Gajendra Babu said.