Protesting Ad-hoc teachers threaten to progress from pen-down to boycott classes mode

GANGTOK, 13 Nov: All Sikkim Ad-hoc Teachers, on dharna outside the district administrative centre here, have now threatened to boycott classes instead of their ongoing pen-down strike if they do not receive an immediate and positive response from the concerned department. They also plan to “intensify” the protest if they state government fails to resolve the issue immediately.
Speaking to media persons today, ASAT general secretary, Ashish Lepcha stated that the dharna has reached 23 days now but the government has not shown any interest in resolving the issue.
“Although a committee has been formed by the government to address the issue, all decisions and response from the department is being conveyed through the print media and we have not received any direct official response so far,” he said.
Mr. Lepcha informed that except one meeting with the committee there has been no further official correspondence between the committee and protesting teachers. All promises and assurances should be made officially, he demanded.
The protesting teachers further pointed out that the HRDD Minister is yet to meet them even after 23 days have passed since they launched the protest.
“Some schools have issued circulars saying ‘No Work, No Salary’. On what grounds have these circulars been issued and is it just to threaten us protesting teachers?” alleged and asked Mr. Lepcha. The department is also threatening to send substitute teachers to schools instead of solving the problem at hand, he claimed further adding that this only goes to show that the government is not in favor of resolving the issue.
The protesting teachers further alleged that the department only wants to prolong the issue till the end of the academic session. On this, they stated that the protest will continue even after the end of this year’s academic session.
It may be recalled that on 07 November, the HRDD in a press statement had said that the demand of ad-hoc teachers that the yearly appointment system be removed “is being considered by the government for implementation and is already in process”. The department had further said that the possibility of allowing ad-hoc teachers who do not possess the required qualifications as per the RTE Act 2009 to conditionally appear for the Teacher Eligibility Test “is being explored”. Regarding the demand for regularization, HRDD had said that it “is to be seen in the light of the provisions of law relating to this”.

Ad-hoc teachers on chalk-down strike

GANGTOK, 22 Oct: The All Ad-hoc Teachers of Sikkim [AATS] today started their pen-down, chalk-down indefinite strike at government schools across the state and are sitting on dharna in front of the District Administrative Centre, East.
Speaking to NOW! over the phone, Ashish Lepcha [general secretary, AATS] informed that theirs is an apolitical organization like a civil society organisation and so there is no political color to the strike. “We just want the state government and the concerned department to look into our demands and take necessary action on them. We have placed our demands several times but no action has been taken yet”, he said, adding that it was this disinterest of the concerned officials in addressing their demands which has forced them to their present stand.
“Our demands are that our jobs should be made secure, we are not asking the government and the concerned department to regularize our appointments as regular teachers, but want that the annual process of re-appointment be done away with, like in the case of MR and WC employees”, he said and added that fresh appointments that are made every year also be stopped. This, he said, does not give weightage to their experiences as teachers.
The other demand is that fifty per cent reservation be provided to ad-hoc teachers in Teachers Eligibility Test [TET] without any criteria as such, he said and added that the TET criterion to be introduced is good but until and unless their demand regarding the TET is not met the association boycotts and condemns it.
The pen down, chalk down strike being observed by the ad-hoc teachers in the government schools across the state has been successful as around 85% teachers all over Sikkim did not attend their classes today, he claimed and added that it was the most successful in the West District, which, he said, recorded 100% participation.
The pen down, chalk down strike was done as per the announcement made by the AATS, during their last conference held recently and as it is the first day of the protest the AATS feels proud to claim such a huge success, added Mr. Lepcha.
“The dharna which we have begun from today is indefinite, but if there is any positive feedback regarding the issues from the state government or the concerned department then we will think on what needs to be done next,” he stated.
While only 11 AATS members could participate in the dharna here today, the organizers expect their numbers to swell in the coming days.