Teachers to protest in September against reorganizing schools

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.08.2019

Teachers’ associations in Tamil Nadu have opposed the move to restructure government schools saying it would cause confusion and chaos in governance of elementary as well as high and higher secondary schools.

Teachers’ associations under the Joint Action Council for Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisations and Government Employees’ Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) have called for a series of protests at block and district levels in September, demanding the withdrawal of government order 145. As per the order, headmasters of government high and higher secondary schools will monitor primary and middle schools within a 5km radius to create clusters of 10 to 15 schools.

“The headmasters will become senior teachers in primary and middle schools. It will render the micro-management of schools ineffective in these schools,” said R Doss, one of the co-ordinators of JACTTO-GEO.

“Though the government claims it is for the improvement of teachers and students, it will create chaos and pose a threat to elementary education in the state,” he added. The associations expressed concern that the order would lead to winding up of directorate of elementary education. “Government order 101made big changes in the monitoring of schools as it abolished district-level elementary education official posts. Government order 145 further removes separate monitoring of elementary schools,” said K Meenatchi Sundaram, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Primary School Teachers Mandram.

Temp teachers to fill vacancies

School education department has permitted headmasters to fill PG teacher posts with temporary teachers till recruitment of teachers. “To help students in government schools preparing for Class XI and XII board exams, the department is giving permission to fill vacancies immediately with temporary teachers. The appointment period should be between August and December 2019,” a circular said.