TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Higher Secondary Teachers’ Association Goa (HISTAG) has demanded that Goa government represent their case before the proposed Seventh Pay Commission in order to reduce the gap in pay scales of school teachers and college lecturers.
A delegation led by Beena Naik, President of the Association submitted their views before the Director of Education Anil Powar.
During the deliberations, the President of HISTAG, Naik impressed on the education department that they support their demand of placing their scales at a higher level. Although the VII Pay Commission has still not been constituted, the delegation said that as the Central Pay Commission reports are invariably adopted by the State governments, it is the duty of Goa government to see that the Commission gives justice to the teachers in their report.
The delegation also impressed upon Powar to recognize the efforts of the teachers of handling the most important stage — that of adolescence, which is crucial in shaping the destinies of young minds.
The present government should take a very strong stand to see that the morale of the higher secondary teachers is boosted, said a press note issued by HISTAG.
Higher Secondary teachers, who are post graduates along with BEd, have been always placed clubbed with school teachers thereby depriving them of promotion, the delegation told the Director.
The delegation also stressed on waiving off of the existing criteria of ‘restricting frame of Selection Scale to 20 per cent of teachers’ strength’, as there are many teachers who retire after completion of 25-30 years of service and are deprived of their Selection Scale, the delegation said.
The delegation also demanded that provisions regarding sick leave and study Leave be incorporated in relevant Rules.
The delegation later called on other education officials. Issues related to examination and paper correction centers, training programs, orientation courses, seminars, and so on for teachers from Board of Studies on various subjects were discussed. The delegation also demanded that the Goa government should take up the issue of inclusion of the Konkani subject in the CBSE syllabus as a second language.
