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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, March 8: The standoff between the state government and junior college teachers is likely to affect assessment of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) answer-sheets, with the teachers deciding to go-slow’ on evaluation work.
The teachers, who began receiving answer-sheets of the Arts and Commerce faculties on Sunday, say they will evaluate only five answer-sheets each against the usual 20-25 per day, says M R Andhalkar, vice-president of the Maharashtra Federation of Junior College Teachers’ Organisations (MFJCTO).
The union, which is spearheading the agitation in the state, has directed the 3,700 teachers from 262 junior colleges in Mumbai to go slow on assessment following the chief minister’s refusal to raise salaries as per the Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations. The teachers, who saythey have been betrayed, also launched the second phase of their agitation by commencing their three-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan today.
Secretary of the Mumbai division of the Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, A D Dixit, refused to comment on the implications of the teachers’ decision, saying only: “If they indeed decide to go slow, we shall urge them not to. I do not want to say any more.”
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Narayan Rane has denounced the agitation, saying the teachers cannot hold the government to ransom. He said in Pune today that stern action would be taken if they boycott assessment. In that case, he said, the government would make alternative arrangements.
However, that could seriously compromise the quality of evaluation as it did during a similar agitation over a decade ago. On that occasion, the government hired the services of retired teachers and also entrusted the responsibility to persons who were not qualified for evaluation. The latter comprised studentswith a Master’s degree but who had not been trained as teachers.
Rebuffing Rane’s warning, president of the Mumbai Junior College Teachers’ Union (MJCTU), Amar Singh, said: “Let the government do whatever it wants. If it makes alternative arrangements, the students will suffer.” He said the MJCTU will organise a morcha from Bandra railway station to the residence of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Saturday, to remind him of his assurance following which the union terminated its 41-day strike in January.The agitation has meanwhile been condemned by educationists, who say students may have to ultimately pay for the tussle between the teachers and state government. Says Principal D B Kadam of Bhavan’s College, Andheri:
“Our Association of Non-Government Colleges (ANGC) will write to the state government urging it to at least settle for a compromise package.”
Andhalkar points out that the government has not paid a section of teachers for the 41-day strike period and thereafter even though the syllabifor Stds XI and XII were completed by taking extra classes. “The government has categorically refused to give us the compensation package for the strike period. Moreover, 75 per cent of the teachers have not got their salaries for the last three months. The government says it has got no money, but this is a general provision. How can they say they don’t have the money,” queries Andhalkar.
“How can the government claim that we have not completed the syllabi when we worked overtime and took extra classes after the strike,” he queries. Moreover, he points out, principals had dispatched reports to the deputy director of education, confirming that the syllabi had been completed.
Still, the government claims it is not satisfied, he adds.
However, president of the ANGC, Principal M G Shirhatti of Lala Lajpatrai College, Haji Ali, says though the teachers had not been paid their compensation package, they have received their monthly salaries. Even with regard to compensation, he says: “Teachers are yet tofully compensate the loss of days in Std XI. Therefore the ANGC has recommended that teachers be paid compensation after ensuring a commensurate cut in their summer holidays.
