Some 2,000 higher secondary teachers in nearly 220 aided schools across the State are planning to go on an indefinite strike from August 3 pointing out that the Education Department is yet to create and approve their posts.
Irshad Panoli, State secretary, Non-approved Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association, told The Hindu that they had been working without salary for the past three years.
“We were appointed in 2014 after the government sanctioned around 600 new Plus Two batches and upgraded high schools as higher secondary schools. It was announced that new posts of teachers would be created two years later. We were to be treated as guest teachers until then,” he said.
The department was expected to issue an order in 2016 April and posts were to be created in June. But as a new government came to power that year, the issue was put on hold.
Most of these teachers have reportedly paid money to the managements to secure appointment.
“When we raised the issue with the Education Minister, he promised to issue the order in May this year and create the posts in June. Nothing has happened so far,” he claimed.
Mr. Panoli, however, alleged that posts were created in government higher secondary schools only recently.
Meanwhile, the government released ₹68 crore to be disbursed as salaries to those who worked as guest teachers in government and aided schools between 2014 and 2016.
But, citing technical reasons, many did not get any money.
Mr. Panoli claimed that the previous United Democratic Front government had in principle approved their demand.
He alleged that the Left Democratic Front government was reluctant to act on it. He pointed out that the delay in creating and approving posts would affect many teachers who were on the verge of crossing the age limit.
