Latest news with #APTF
The Hindu
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Teachers freed from P4 linked pressure
There is a growing resentment among teacher unions in the state against what they call 'pressure being mounted on them to register as 'mentors' or 'guides' under the 'P4' (Public-Private-People-Participation) initiative.' In view of this, Secretary, School Education, Kona Sashidhar has issued a circular strictly instructing district Collectors not to involve principals, headmasters or teachers of government schools and colleges in any activity not related to the School Education Department. Mr. Sasidhar pointed out that it was brought to the notice of the government that Collectors and certain departments in a few districts were asking principals, headmasters and teachers of government schools and colleges to upload data related to their departments without the notice of the School Education Department. He said this was causing a hindrance to the regular academic activities in the respective institutions and asked the district officials to desist from involving teachers. Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF), meanwhile, have welcomed the move stating that this would end the prevailing confusion among teachers. It may be noted that in the wake of the launch of P4 initiative and the government urging all departments to become part of the poverty-eradication drive, a few District Education Officers (DEOs), after receiving instructions by the Collectors, sent links to headmasters and teachers asking them to register as 'mentors' and adopt families under the initiative within a stipulated deadline. The move drew flak from teacher unions which insisted that pressure to adopt families was unacceptable and that the 'p4' programme should be implemented on voluntary basis.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
APTF opposes teachers' transfer policy and merger of schools
Teachers and students have become victims of the State government's new education policy which led to the closure of many schools and denied promotion opportunities to teachers, alleged Andhra Pradesh Teachers Federation (APTF) honorary president of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts Bankuru Joginaidu. Speaking to media here, he said that the government had classified schools into nine categories which led to the closure of many primary schools in villages and tribal areas of the two districts. The classification was against the guidelines of the Right to Education Act which facilitated affordable education for students of marginalised sections, he added. 'Many teachers who were selected for jobs through DSCs held in 1998 and 2000 lost promotion opportunities due to merger of schools and over changes to rules and regulations of transfer policy. More over many qualified subject teachers of high schools were sent to primary schools, this move led to deterioration of academic standards of high school students in the absence of well trained and experienced teachers,' said Mr. Joginaidu. He said that the transfer policy was against the guidelines of AP Educational Subordinate Service Rules. He pointed out delay in announcement of cluster vacancies even before the implementation of the transfer policy.
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.
