TET-qualified teachers set 7-day deadline for talks over equal pay & reforms
The organisation accused the administration of "decade-long neglect and discrimination" against contractual teachers appointed since 2012 under the Right to Education Act, 2009.
Teachers from Cachar, Sribhumi, and Hailakandi on Sunday alleged that repeated assurances from chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have failed to yield meaningful policy changes. Their foremost demand is "equal pay for equal work," accompanied by calls for medical reimbursement, decentralised leave approval, and encashment of earned leaves — benefits they say have been systematically denied.
The society is also seeking the implementation of the revised 2010 pay scale for both primary and upper-primary teachers, clearance of dearness allowance arrears pending since July 1, 2019, and inclusion of contractual teachers under the Modified Assured Career Progression scheme.
Members raised concerns over the treatment of retired teachers, citing unpaid leave benefits and withheld entitlements. Among other pressing issues are the need for job regularisation, pay protection under the Assam Primary Education (Provincialisation) Fourth Amendment Act, 2024, and the provision of gratuity after five years of continuous service.
The demand for a structured salary package was coupled with a push for better professional growth, with teachers requesting access to BEd programmes through Krishna Kanta Handique Open University and a dedicated IGNOU study centre in the Barak Valley.
While the society welcomed schemes such as 'Apna Bahan', 'Apna Ghar', 'Mukhyamantri Lok Seva Arogya Yojana', and various loan initiatives announced by the CM, it voiced frustration over administrative delays that continue to hinder implementation.
Kaustabh Chakraborty, the society's spokesperson, expressed hope that the govt would respond constructively. However, he warned that failure to address the demands within the stipulated timeframe would trigger intensified protests. The society urged the state to act with "lawfulness and humanity" in addressing the concerns of thousands of qualified contractual educators across Assam.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
20 minutes ago
- Hans India
Assam CM launches ‘Mission BTR', claims Congress has ‘no foothold' in Bodoland
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma kicked off a five-day tour of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on Monday, unveiling the BJP's ambitious "Mission BTR" to bolster development and party support ahead of the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections. Addressing a massive rally at Green Field in Kokrajhar, the BTR headquarters, Sarma exuded confidence in the BJP's dominance in the region, declaring, "Congress has no presence here. Congress belongs in Pakistan." The remark drew loud cheers from the crowd, signalling the BJP's aggressive stance as the election season approaches. Sarma highlighted the BJP-led government's success in restoring stability in BTR following the 2020 BTR peace accord. "The last five years were about establishing peace - no encounters, no bomb blasts. The next five years will be about all-around development for every community," he asserted. Emphasising the party's electoral ambitions, he added, "We are not here to lose. We are here to win for peace, development, and the welfare of BTR's people." The rally, attended by state BJP chief Dilip Saikia, Minister Ashok Singhal, and several BTC leaders, underscored the party's focus on consolidating its base in BTR. Sarma outlined a two-pronged strategy: securing victory in the BTC polls and gearing up for the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. "After BTC, we will shift full focus to 2026. Our goal is clear - to form the government again," he said. Later, Sarma chaired a review meeting at the Kokrajhar District Commissioner's office to assess the implementation of state welfare schemes, reinforcing the BJP's development-centric agenda. With "Mission BTR," the BJP aims to position itself as the region's primary force for stability and progress, leaving little room for opposition parties in its political calculus.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Single-teacher schools are failing India's children. Here's what must change
On paper, the Right to Education Act is clear: every primary school must have at least two teachers and one for every 30 students. Yet, travel into the heartlands of India, especially to states like Jharkhand, and you'll find a very different reality. Nearly one in three government primary schools there is run by a single some states, that lone teacher is expected to handle 70, even 90 children. And more often than not, these schools are tucked away in remote tribal villages or Dalit hamlets -- places that desperately need education the there's no teacher at all. Economist and activist Jean Dreze, who has long worked on rural education in India, calls this 'a stark symptom of a larger failure to enforce RTE norms.' And the data backs to the UDISE 2021-22 data on single-teacher schools from the education ministry, Jharkhand isn't alone. States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka also report worryingly high numbers of single-teacher schools. But in Jharkhand, the problem runs deeper -- and NUMBERS IN JHARKHAND AND OTHER STATESJharkhand hasn't hired new teachers since 2016. In the years since, many have retired or passed away, creating a gaping hole in the teaching force.'Even at that time, there were massive teacher shortages,' Dreze points out. 'Meanwhile, many teachers have retired or died, intensifying the shortage.'Dreze has even co-filed a PIL in the Jharkhand High Court in 2023 demanding appointments of 26,000 teachers. He says the state's crisis is rooted in years of neglect. (Representative image) According to 2021-22 UDISE data, Jharkhand has the highest proportion of single-teacher schools among all major Indian states -- 30.9% of its government primary schools. Even worse, these schools serve an average of 46 students each, far above what any one teacher can comparison, Andhra Pradesh (33.9%), Telangana (30.3%), Karnataka (29%), Rajasthan (27.2%) and Himachal Pradesh (28.2%) also report high proportions of single-teacher Bihar, only 9.7% of schools are single-teacher, but they serve a staggering 96 students on average. Uttar Pradesh, despite its size, has only 2.5% single-teacher schools -- but each of these has around 70 the other end of the spectrum, Kerala stands out, with just 4% single-teacher schools and only 10 pupils per this is where we need to differentiate between the issue of single-teacher schools and that of mini schools.'MINI-SCHOOLS' AREN'T THE PROBLEM -- BAD POLICY ISadvertisementSome officials casually label all single-teacher schools as 'mini-schools.' Before the Right to Education (RTE) Act came in, mini-schools were a quick-fix way to reach remote habitations where enrolment would be very low once the RTE norms kicked in -- demanding minimum infrastructure and at least two teachers per school -- the system was supposed to upgrade. It didn' Jean Dreze explains it simply: 'Mini-schools are easy to identify. There are some in most states, but not many. But the problem of single-teacher schools is much larger, certainly in Jharkhand.'While Kerala or Himachal might post one teacher to handle 10-15 kids in a remote hill or forest village, Jharkhand averages 46 students per single-teacher school. In Bihar, it's 96. These aren't "mini" -- they're overcrowded, neglected, and barely when some policymakers try to lump all single-teacher setups under the 'mini-school' banner to justify the lack of staffing, it's dangerous. It's just bad policy. (AI-generated image) advertisementTHE CASTE QUESTIONThe problem isn't limited to teacher shortages. It's also about where teachers are posted. It's no coincidence that the worst-hit areas are largely inhabited by Dalits and and easily accessible villages tend to receive more teachers. Remote Adivasi and Dalit villages -- where parents are often first-generation learners -- are left with barely one, or sometimes none.'Discrimination is very much part of the problem,' says Derze. Teachers are often reluctant to take up posts in these communities.'Teacher placement discriminates against remote villages inhabited by marginalised communities,' Dreze says. 'Children who needed the best schooling facilities, because their communities have been excluded from education for centuries, end up getting the worst.'The government, too, appears to have deprioritised these schools when it comes to allocation and A SCHOOL IS JUST A MEAL CENTREThis single-teacher school crisis in Jharkhand was laid bare at a public hearing held in June 2025 in Manika block of Latehar district, based on a survey of 40 single-teacher schools in the area. Villagers gathered to share what daily schooling actually looks like.'Once food is served, the school closes,' said Salmani Devi from Ambatikar village. 'When we ask officials about this, they say -- 'What will village children study?''advertisementJamuna village's Chinta Devi described how their school technically has two teachers, but one is always absent and the other is too busy with Kavita Devi from Karmahi village, it's not just a learning issue -- it's a matter of her children's future. 'I don't want them to become daily wage workers like me,' she Devi, also from Karmahi, added that when they confront teachers about the poor quality of education, the teachers simply blame the Devi from Chatra village pointed out how the system seems more invested in feeding children than educating them. 'Everyone asks what food was served in school, but no one asks what was taught,' she said. From the public hearing on single-teacher schools in Jharkhand in June 2025 And when it comes to basic schemes? Phuliya Devi noted that 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' isn't implemented in her village at corruption plays a role. Kunti Devi, a School Management Committee member, said that the headmaster demanded Rs 150 from each student for school uniforms. 'Because I couldn't pay, my child didn't get one,' she the matter was raised with Block Education Officer Rajshree Puri, she responded by suggesting that anyone in the village who has passed Class 12 can teach voluntarily -- even without Dreze says, is part of a larger policy. 'Jharkhand has a policy of allowing volunteers with education above Class 12 to take classes in government schools on an honorary basis,' he he warns that such ad-hoc arrangements can be dangerous, especially if they are used as a substitute for actual warns that such stop-gap measures are not only ineffective but dangerous. 'The danger is that such classes will substitute for teacher time, or act as an entry point for cranks and crooks,' he says. 'But these classes rarely happen in any case.'Here's the data on single-teacher schools as per the UDISE 2021-22 report:StateProportion of schools with a single teacher (%)Proportion of children enrolled in single-teacher schools (%)Average number of pupils in single-teacher schoolsJharkhand30.924.946Karnataka29.021.223Rajasthan27.218.930Himachal Pradesh28.218.619Madhya Pradesh21.317.339Andhra Pradesh33.915.524Jammu & Kashmir19.013.915Uttarakhand27.911.915Telangana30.310.721Chhattisgarh15.38.734Punjab18.27.132Bihar9.77.196All major States14.76.933Odisha8.66.637Gujarat7.24.634Assam8.74.333Maharashtra11.74.220Tamil Nadu8.34.132Haryana7.22.848West Bengal5.21.829Uttar Pradesh2.51.570Kerala4.00.310WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?The RTE norms are over a decade old. Why haven't they been enforced?According to Dreze, the buck stops with both political leadership and the education bureaucracy. 'The irresponsibility of the bureaucrats and functionaries is also staggering,' he says. 'They care mostly about finance and records, without much concern for children.'The silence from the political class is equally deafening. 'In Jharkhand, the schooling system is a disaster but one rarely hears about this in parliamentary debates, media reports, public discussions or electoral campaigns,' he the courts -- though recently helpful -- can only do so much. A PIL filed by Dreze and others led the Jharkhand High Court to order the appointment of 26,000 new as Dreze says, "Judicial activism is certainly not enough. This failure is first and foremost a political failure.'Filling the 26,000 teacher vacancies in Jharkhand are just the beginning. According to petitioners in the Jharkhand High Court case, the state needs over 60,000 more primary school teachers to meet RTE norms.' (Representative image) CAN THE PEOPLE TURN THIS AROUND?Interestingly, while the government looks away, parents haven't stopped caring. At the public hearing in Jharkhand's Latehar, many took a day off from mahua collection -- a crucial seasonal income source -- to may not seem like much, but it shows that the demand for education is there, especially from parents. It just hasn't found political voice believes a 'second wave' of the education rights movement is needed. 'Most Indian parents care a lot about their children's education, but collective action on this is rare,' he says. "One reason is that the influential classes have deserted government schools in favour of private schools. The rest feel that there is little they can do.'But this frustration can be harnessed. 'Their strong desire for quality education can probably be turned into a positive energy for public mobilisation,' he the RTE Act, despite being ignored today, 'includes many useful provisions that are worth fighting for.'THE WAY FORWARDSo what needs to be done? First, appoint teachers -- and appoint them where they're needed. Ensure that no school is left with just one teacher, especially if it's serving a large number of mechanisms that hold the bureaucracy accountable. And above all, bring the issue back into public at the end of the day, no child should grow up believing that school is just a place to eat rice and leave. They deserve classrooms that function, teachers who show up, and a system that believes they matter. Otherwise, it's not just a schooling failure. It's a national one.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Indian Express
Eliminating drugs, giving jobs to youths AAP's priorities: Arvind Kejriwal
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday hailed the Punjab government for 'heralding an era of education revolution in the state thereby bagging top rank in National Achievement Survey (NAS) conducted by Government of India (GoI).' Addressing the gathering in Sangrur during a function to mark Punjab's accomplishment in the NAS, Kejriwal said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction for him to be a part of this historic day in the education sector of Punjab. He said that due to efforts of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has delivered an outstanding performance in the National Achievement Survey 2024 (NAS). Kejriwal said that it 'is a real revolution as the teachers who used to protest climbing water tanks during the previous regimes are today interacting with the Chief Minister to achieve such ranks.' He said that the state government has provided congenial atmosphere and the teachers have duly utilized it to excel in every sphere so that the students can be immensely benefited from it. Kejriwal said that the previous governments had exploited the government teachers due to which studies were adversely affected but things have seen a paradigm shift now. Kejriwal said that NAS is a big achievement but it is not the ultimate goal of his government which intends to ensure the well being of every person. He said that the certificate of the people that the state government has brought education revolution in the state and other fields is the real acknowledgement for him. Kejriwal said that eliminating drugs, imparting quality education to youth and ensuring job/ business for them are the three major thrust areas of the state government. He said that the teachers should take responsibility that the students are weaned away from menace of drugs. Kejriwal said that the properties constructed from the drug money have been razed to dust by the bulldozers. He said that those who had ruined the future of generations are now getting the punishment for their sins and these leaders who had patronized the drug trade are being put behind bars. Extending special thanks to the teachers, principals, and staff of the education department, he said that their hard work, dedication, and commitment have made this achievement possible. Kejriwal said that Punjab's achievement in NAS-2024 will be recorded in the annals of history adding that the most significant aspect is that this survey was conducted by the Government of India—not by Punjab. Kejriwal said that this nationwide survey was conducted by NCERT in collaboration with states and Union Territories in December 2024, involving thousands of students from across India.
