Teachers’ Eligibility Test, Sanch Manyata policy; unions to hold larger stir in Nagpur if demands are unmet
Teachers hold a demonstration outside an education department official’s office on Friday. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Hundreds of teachers skipped school on Friday and assembled outside the offices of education department officials in Jogeshwari, Chembur, and Charni Road, among many spots across the city, to protest against various polices, including the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET), which has been made mandatory, and Sanch Manyata regulations.
“Between 400 and 500 teachers participated from over 70 per cent of aided Marathi schools across the city. Despite the education department officials’ warning that those who took part would face a pay cut, we saw large participation. While we received no written response from the officials, we are expecting these points to be raised in the Assembly. If not, we are prepared to stage a larger demonstration in Nagpur,” said Subhash More, working president of Shikshak Bhaarti, who protested at Charni Road.
A primary reason for the unrest is the fear of loss of jobs, as a recent Supreme Court verdict mandates TET even for in-service teachers. However, a 2024 government order regarding ‘Sanch Manyata’, a system that allots teachers to schools based on the head count of their students, was a central point of contention.
“Allotting a teacher as per student head count is an unfair practice. Even if a school has a low population, those handfuls of students also deserve to study. Moreover, this cannot be a blanket regulation, since rural students, especially girls, find it difficult to travel to far-off schools if the one in their neighbourhood lacks a teacher,” said Jalindar Sarode, president of Shikshak Sena Maharashtra.
400
Minimum no. of teachers who took part in stir
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