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The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
A.P. teachers to continue protest against G.O. on school restructuring
Teacher organisations in Andhra Pradesh have voiced strong opposition to the proposed school restructuring program, expressing concerns that it will harm the education sector. They plan protests, including State-level demonstrations, to highlight their concerns. Raising concern over 'categorisation of schools and the potential negative impact on students and teachers,' leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Teachers' Federation (APTF) have announced their decision to continue their protests in a phased manner. On May 5, they held mandal-level protests, on May 9 at district-level and on May 14, at the State level. Opposing what they called irrational policies being implemented in government schools, they said instead of revising the incoherent decisions taken by the previous government, the TDP-led coalition government, through G.O. 21, proposed to set up nine categories of schools, which may dismantle public education system. The federation leaders said on May 16 and 17, teachers across the State would send messages via WhatsApp and Email to the Minister for Human Resource Development Nara Lokesh demanding reversal of the decision to protect the education sector. On May 18, 19 and 20, they would submit memoranda to the elected representatives, from village sarpanches to the Members of Parliament, including School Education Committee Chairpersons, Zilla Parishad and Mandal Parishad members, seeking their immediate intervention. Pointing out that no other State in the country had nine categories of schools, the leaders demanded that the government revert to the old system that existed before the issue of G.O. 117 by the previous YSR Congress Party government. Leaders of the State committee of the Student Federation of India (SFI) have also condemned the decision, insisting that the government reconsider its stand. In a statement on Thursday, the federation's State president K. Prasanna Kumar and general secretary A. Ashok said G.O. 117 issued by the YSRCP government on division of schools in six categories evoked stiff resistance by the stakeholders. The current government repealed that G.O. and instead, issued a fresh one as an alternative, categorising schools in nine categories. They said the proposed restructuring would cause serious harm to the school education system and would facilitate privatisation of the education sector.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Teachers' body opposes proposed school restructuring programme, calls for protests from May 5 in Andhra Pradesh
Leaders of Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF) are gearing up for protests in a phased manner from May 5, against certain policies, including the proposed school restructuring programme, which they feel would be detrimental to the interest of the school education sector. The federation leaders plan to stage protests at old taluka headquarters on May 5, dharna at district headquarters on May 9 and a State-level dharna in Vijayawada on May 14. The previous government introduced incoherent policies that led to chaos in the school education sector. The current TDP-led coalition government had promised to clear the chaos and come up with coherent policies, but instead, this government is adding to the confusion, said federation's State president Ch. Manjula and general secretary K. Bhanumurthy. They said the previous government proposed to merge Classes 3 to 5 in the High Schools, but the current regime proposes to merge even Classes 1 and 2 also, which is unacceptable. They said the federation was also opposed to the variation in allocation of teacher-student ratio in each school individually. The leaders said the present system of primary schools (Classes 1 to 5) and High Schools (Classes 6-10 or 12) in every village should be continued and instead favoured integration of pre-primary education with primary schools. They said schools that include Classes 6 and 7 should have four School Assistant posts and those with Classes 6,7 and 8, should be allocated six School Assistant posts as per GO. 55. Every primary school should have at least two Secondary Grade Teacher (SGT) posts regardless of the student strength and a uniform teacher-student ratio should be maintained across the State, they demanded, adding that additional section should be created in high schools where the number of students exceed 45 per section. They said the department should implement teacher promotions based on the State-wide seniority lists and the existing State and Subordinate Service Rules and implement Telugu as the medium of instruction as recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP)- 2020. Their other demands immediate implementation of the 12th Pay Revision Commission (PRC), release of the three pending DA instalments and clearance of dues related to the 11th PRC and other pending financial arrears.
