Team Herald
PANJIM: The All Goa Part Time Instructors have issued a one-month-ultimatum to the State government to regularise their services, failing which they will protest outside the Chief Minister’s official bungalow.
They have been demanding that their salaries be increased as well.
The 54-odd part time teachers, who cover various fields like physical education, art etc are part of the Goa Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, recalled how they were appointed a decade ago and have been demanding that they be made permanent for the last couple of years.
Addressing the media persons on Tuesday, the agitated teachers pointed out that when they had met the government officials concerned, they were told that their salaries are jointly paid by the Central and State governments and thus this is taking time. Nonetheless, they said this issue can still be resolved before the next academic year begins.
“We had first taken up this issue with former Chief Minister (late) Manohar Parrikar who had agreed with us that our salaries were low and had even consulted the then Director of Education at that time. However, Parrikar fell ill and we could not meet him after that. Thereafter, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had given us an assurance of making us permanent as soon as he became the Chief Minister. Later, when this was not done, we approached the then Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, who had taken us to Sawant who gave us yet another promise of fulfilling our demands within six months,” they said.
They added that this was still not done and now Kavlekar is the Deputy Chief Minister.
The teachers added that they are unable to sustain their livelihood with the low salary offered to them and that there should be equal pay for equal work given the amount of work they do in the schools and high schools in Goa. They also pointed out how the New Education Policy gives more preference to subjects they teach like art etc.
