Latest news with #SchoolTeachersFederationofIndia
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
STFI elects new committee, charts nationwide protest plan
Hyderabad/Kolkata: After the three-day All India Silver Assembly of the School Teachers Federation of India (STFI), held in Kolkata on Sunday, a new national committee has been elected. The elections, conducted on the final day, selected 87 General Council members, 45 Central Committee members and 23 Office Bearers. CN Bharti from Haryana was chosen as President, while Chava Ravi from Telangana was elected General Secretary. From Telangana, CH Durga Bhawani joined the Central Committee as the female representative, alongside Venkat and R. Sarada. They, along with all elected members, will serve for a three-year term. Chava Ravi, a veteran of the national teachers' movement, also continues his role as General Secretary of the Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF). The TSUTF State Committee includes State President A. Venkat, Vice Presidents CH Durga Bhawani, Treasurer T. Lakshmareddy, and Secretaries Shanti Kumari, Nagamani, Raju, Ranjit Kumar, Satyanand, Mallareddy, Sridhar, Ravi Prasad Goud, Ravikumar, Simhachalam, Jnana Manjari, and Venkatappa. During the Mahasabha, participants unanimously passed 21 resolutions aimed at improving teachers' rights, employment conditions, and educational policy. Key resolutions include: abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), repeal of the PFRDA Act, increasing the income tax exemption limit to reduce the burden on salaried employees, and scrapping the National Education Policy 2020 along with the alternative national education system. Other resolutions called for allocating 6% of GDP and 10% of the central budget to education, granting primary teachers voting rights in MLC elections, ensuring equal pay for contract teachers, regularisation of contract, guest and outsourced teachers, restricting teachers to teaching duties only, and replacing teachers regularly in postings. To press for these demands, the STFI announced a four-phase nationwide protest program running from September to December. The agitation will begin with dharnas at zonal centres, followed by district-level dharnas, and culminate with a major protest in the national capital at Jantar Mantar, Delhi. In a joint statement, STFI National Secretary and TSUTF leaders Chava Ravi and A. Venkat appealed to teachers across Telangana to participate in large numbers in the upcoming agitation, stressing the urgency of confronting the challenges facing the education sector and securing teachers' rights.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
STFI demands scrapping of NEP-2020
Kolkata / Hyderabad: The School Teachers Federation of India (STFI) launched its 9th National Conference, marking its Silver Jubilee Celebrations, on Friday at Mahajati Sadan in Kolkata. The three-day event commenced with the ceremonial unfurling of the national flag by STFI General Secretary C.N. Bharti and the STFI flag by National President K.C. Harikrishnan. The inaugural session, chaired by Bharti, featured prominent academics including Professor Pavitra Sarkar, former Vice Chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University, Calcutta University's Professor Samuel Chakraborty, Jadavpur University's Professor Siddhartha Dutta, and Professor Abdul Kafi. The speakers voiced strong opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, citing its adverse impact on public education and its alignment with privatization and corporatization agendas. They expressed alarm over the closure of thousands of government schools nationwide, attributing the trend to pro-privatization policies of both Central and State governments. The speakers highlighted a sharp decline in student enrollment in public schools, juxtaposed with the growth of private and corporate institutions. They criticized the central government's push for 'one nation, one curriculum,' arguing that such homogenization undermines India's linguistic and cultural diversity. The conference emphasized the need to foster a scientific temper and rational thinking in education, urging teachers to actively counter superstitions and unscientific beliefs. A key demand was the allocation of 6% of GDP and 10% of the national budget to the education sector, in line with recommendations from earlier education commissions. Concerns were also raised about the functioning of the National Testing Agency, which was accused of disregarding state autonomy in educational matters. Speakers noted that many teaching positions remain vacant, with contract and temporary staff filling the gaps, leading to deteriorating conditions in government schools. The rise of private universities—now comprising 50% of higher education institutions—was cited as a threat to the public education system. In the afternoon session, STFI Vice President and TS UTF State President Chavaravi introduced a resolution opposing NEP-2020, calling for a new education policy rooted in constitutional values and scientific principles. The conference saw participation from 560 STFI Central Committee members and representatives from across India, including 38 delegates from Telangana. Key leaders from TS UTF, including Chavaravi, A. Venkat, C.H. Durgabhavani, and T. Lakshma Reddy, were present alongside district-level office bearers.
