An ongoing situation of strike is being witnessed at the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) Campus at Nungambakkam in Chennai held by the part-time teachers, and their respective Association. On October 3, the strike had approached it’s Ninth day, where number of protestors had commenced hunger strike last week, however the same had to be suspended after nearly three days, due to the deteriorating health issues emerged due to the ongoing strike.
Assertions & Demands made by the protesters:
Hundreds of unemployed teachers who had earlier cleared their Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2013 and Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs), and also the ones hired temporarily in government schools, had begun the strike demanding:
Cancellation of Government Order 149 (G.O): Cancellation of Government Order 149 (G.O) passed by the previous AIADMK government, which mandates them to pass another competitive exam to verify their eligibility for teaching positions. They are arguing that they had already passed the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and should not be subjected to an additional test as per the 2018 G.O, the said demand is backed by the promise made by the DMK government in its 2021 poll manifesto (promise number 177) stating that the 2018 G.O. would not prevent these teachers from working since they had already passed the eligibility test five years prior to the implementation of the G.O.
Permanent Employment: The protestors are seeking permanent employment as continuous extension of temporary contracts causes job insecurity and instability in their professional endeavors.
Salary Disparities: The protestors seek to eliminate salary disparity between teachers hired before and after May 31, 2009.
Protesting teachers arrested in Chennai #Chennai #TeachersProtest #tamilnadu #DMK #MKStalinGovt #govtjobs #southonenews pic.twitter.com/vS7varfiJJ
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It is stated by the Office bearers of associations participating in the strike that there exist financial and legal concerns which are causing a delay in addressing demands, however the school education department has assured to look into the demands.
It has been stated by State President for Tamil Nadu Part -time special Teachers Association, that six rounds of talks have taken place with officials in the School Education Department. Further According to Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, the Minister of School Education in Tamil Nadu, the government has acknowledged the ongoing protests by teachers. He stated that the government has conducted three rounds of meetings with the protesting teachers., further it is stated by the minister that they had brought the current protest to the attention of the Chief Minister’s office as well, and thus have assured that we will implement their demands in such a way that they do not lead to financial crunch.
It’s evident from the dialogues exchanged that the government is aware of the teachers’ concerns and is engaging in discussions to find a resolution. The specific details of how and when the demands will be met remain to be seen, but both parties appear to be in dialogue, aiming to resolve the issues raised by the protesting teachers.