The functioning of all types of government, Corporation, municipal and aided schools in Vellore district right from the panchayat union primary schools up to higher secondary schools were affected on account of the one day strike resorted to by a majority of the teachers owing allegiance to 28 associations on Thursday.
The strike call was given by the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisations (JACTTO) in support of its 15-point charter of demands which include payment of salary to secondary grade teachers, special teachers and middle school headmasters on par with similar category of teachers employed in central government schools as per the 6th Pay Commission, payment of all allowances on par with the central government teachers and merger of 50 per cent of dearness allowance with basic pay.
The other demands include abolition of the contributory pension scheme and revival of the old pension scheme (as assured by the AIADMK on the eve of the 2011 elections), computing pension for all teachers including the vocational teachers by taking into account also the 50 per cent of their part-time service period, regularisation and grant of time scale to all teachers who were appointed on contract basis between 1986 and 1988 and those appointed on consolidated pay basis between 2004 and 2006.
The JACTTO also demanded that the government give up the practice of closing down primary schools on the grounds of poor strength, and implement a system of education through the mother tongue/Tamil medium from elementary up to higher secondary level.
Many primary and middle schools in Vellore and other villages were closed on account of the strike.
Most of the higher secondary schools in and around Vellore functioned with depleted strength on account of the strike.
Students were seen wandering on the school premises in many higher secondary schools in Vellore owing to the absence of teachers.
The teachers belonging to the various associations staged a demonstration on behalf of JACTTO opposite the Collectorate here in the morning, in support of their demands. Demonstrations were staged in front of the taluk offices in all the taluk headquarters in Vellore district.
