Tamil Nadu elementary school teachers hold statewide protests

CHENNAI: Insisting the Tamil Nadu government and School Education Department to fulfil the long-pending demands of the elementary teachers along with other benefits they are entitled to, the members of Tamil Nadu Elementary Teachers Organisations-Joint Action Committee (TETO-JAC) held statewide protests in respective districts on Tuesday.

The members allege that if the requests by the government are not fulfilled, then a three-day protest will be held in Chennai on September 29, 30 and October 1.

The elementary school teachers of both government and aided management had been urging the government to fulfil a slew of demands, which the department had assured action and promised to fulfil the demands by forming a committee.

However, the members of TETO-JAC and elementary teachers allege that most of the 31 demands placed by them remain unheard by the government and more than one lakh teachers are affected due to the government policies.

The demands kept forward by TETO-JAC are; to revoke the new pension scheme and implement the old pension scheme, the salaries of Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) should be rectified, reinstate the surrendering of leaves, Ennum Ezhuthum scheme should be stopped and all concessions given to government school students should also be given to government aided school students too.

Meanwhile, the department on September 7 agreed to a few of the demands including employing 6,000 administrators in schools to engage in data updation works on the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) portal.

Meanwhile, placing a separate set of demands on the education department, the Coordinating Committee of the Part-Time Teachers Union announced a protest in Chennai on September 12.

The demands have demanded the government to regularise their jobs, which will eventually increase their monthly salary from Rs 12,500.

"The part-time teachers have been working on a meagre salary for several years. Though the DMK government promised during the election to fulfil our demands, no action has been taken so far," said a member of the union.

Meanwhile, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh has announced plans to convene with striking teachers to address their requests and concerns. “We respect the requests of primary school teachers, and we will address their concerns by convening with striking teachers.”