Teachers demand withdrawal of NEP, restoration of old pension scheme
The protest was organised by TSUTF on the call of STFI against what they described as anti-education policies of the Central and state governments.
Hyderabad: The School Teachers Federation of India (STFI) and Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) on Saturday demanded the withdrawal of what they called harmful provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and filling of vacant teaching posts.
Speaking at a mass hunger strike camp at Dharna Chowk here, TSUTF president Chava Ravi, the STFI general secretary, alleged that the implementation of NEP was making education less accessible to poorer sections and leading to the closure of thousands of schools.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicl, Ravi questioned the Congress-led government’s decision to implement NEP despite the party’s ideological opposition to the BJP. He alleged that political parties often adopted different positions while in the Opposition and after coming to power.
The protest was organised by TSUTF on the call of STFI against what they described as anti-education policies of the Central and state governments. TSUTF general secretary A. Venkat presided over the hunger strike.
The unions demanded exemption from the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers appointed before the implementation of the Right to Education Act. They also sought the scrapping of the National Pension System (NPS) and Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), and restoration of OPS.
Other demands included mergers and closures of state-run schools, filling all vacant posts, amending GO 25 dated August 12, 2021, which the union said harmed primary schools, and restricting teachers to teaching duties. They also sought regularisation of temporary and contract teachers with social security benefits, and minimum wages and equal pay for contract staff in KGBVs, urban residential schools and other institutions.
The union demanded implementation of the Eighth Central Pay Commission recommendations and Telangana’s second Pay Revision Commission report, release of pending dearness allowance instalments and bills, proper implementation of the New Employees Health Scheme, and application of the scheme to teachers across managements.
JAC secretary-general Eluri Srinivasa Rao, TGO general secretary B. Shyam, TAPRA general secretary P. Krishnamurthy, Central Government Employees Federation general secretary Aziz and other union representatives visited the protest and expressed solidarity. Hundreds of teachers and TSUTF office-bearers from various districts participated.
