The Uttar Pradesh government has terminated the job of Shiv Kumar Pathak, a trainee government teacher who had filed several Public Interest Litigation cases to highlight pathetic condition of primary education in the State. He had also filed cases with allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in courts.
In a PIL case where he was also one of the petitioner, the Allahabad High Court had on Tuesday, ordered that all government employees, public representatives and judges have to mandatorily send their children to government schools.
The court issued directives to the State Chief Secretary to ensure that its order is implemented putting the government in a "tricky situation" as government schools have become "the last refuge of only the poor", as Mr. Pathak put it.
Mr. Pathak told The Hindu on phone that he was sacked because he was "actively highlighting the pathetic state of affairs of primary education."
I think that the government is not happy with my activism highlighting the bad state of affairs of primary education in the State. The government order which informed me about my termination said I was not "fit" to be a teacher," said Mr. Pathak who was posted as a trainee teacher in Pandeypur in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.
But the trigger of his termination, said Mr. Pathak, was his PIL because of which the High Court ordered the government workers, elected political representatives and judges to send their children to government
The government order dated August 17, informing Mr. Pathak about his termination said “filing PILs” and “leave without permission” were the two reasons behind his termination. Mr. Pathak was appointed for the post of primary school teacher in Januray this year and was going through the training period.
Mr. Pathak rejected the government order saying that he had to take leave to attend the Court hearing for which he had sent a written application.
"I will approach the court if the State government doesn't do justice with me," he told The Hindu .
The Allahabad HC had in its order made strong remarks about the state of primary education in the State and ordered that all salaried employees of the government besides elected representatives and judges must send their children to government school.
The State Advocate General Vijay Bahadur told the media that the government is waiting for the High Court order and will take a decision on the issue only after reading the order and examining all aspects associated with it.
