Hundreds of teaching and non-teaching staff and representatives of school management boards took out a protest march in Dharwad on Tuesday seeking fulfilment of various demands including withdrawal of the recent government order on reducing school fees by 30%.
In the protest held under the aegis of ‘Dharwad Anudanarahita Khasagi Shala Abhivruddhi Samsthe’ and ‘Dharwad Zilla Anudanarahita Khasagi Shalegala Adalita Mandali Sangha’, the agitators marched from Kalabhavana to the office of the Deputy commissioner of Dharwad.
They raised slogans against the alleged harassment by officials of the Department of Public Instruction. They urged the government to withdraw its order. The staff held placards with an appeal to not be unjust to employees of private institutions. The management board members took exception to the rule to renew permits every year, and demanded that the permit duration be increased to three years.
Shankar Halagatti said that it was impossible for the unaided private schools to provide the basic pay fixed by the government and the same had been questioned in the court of law. The private managements would cooperate with the education department in improving the quality of education but the department should not do injustice to the private schools, he said appealing for remedial measure to set right the things.
Those from 80 schools of twin cities took part in the agitation. Office bearers of the associations including Prakash Tenginakai, Lingaraj Patil, Mahendra Singhi, Raja Desai, Mahesh Dyavappanavar, Sister Archana, Gururaj Hunasimarad and several others led the agitation.
Separate memoranda addressed to Additional Commissioner of Public Instruction, chairman of DERA and Deputy Commissioner and Chief Minister were submitted. Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil assured the protesters that steps would be taken to sort out the contentious issues.
He also asked the officials of the Education Department to take remedial measures immediately.
