NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal may have announced a pay hike for guest teachers, but a section of them still doubts that the decision may benefit only those who have qualified the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET). To press for their demand that all teachers, irrespective of CTET qualification, must get a salary hike, the guest teachers’ association has called for a boycott of the “Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting” scheduled for October 15.
Earlier on Saturday, the AAP government had announced a salary increase for around 17,000 guest teachers from the existing Rs 17,000-20,000 to Rs 34,000-35,000. “A decision in this regard will be soon taken by the cabinet. We are also working to regularise them and the file pertaining to that decision was sent to the LG earlier, then it came back and it is now being sent to the LG again with some changes,” the CM said. Under the current arrangements, the guest teachers are entitled to daily wages in the range of Rs 700-Rs 900 per day. Their monthly earnings come around Rs 17,000-Rs 20,000.
Teachers have been demanding regularisation, fixed salaries and leave benefits. The Delhi government had in August set up a high-level committee to look into their demands. “For months, we have been raising the issues of low salary, permanent appointment of guest teachers in vacant posts and the re-appointment of guest teachers who were removed due to indiscipline and poor performance,” said Praveen Tobaria, president of the All India Guest Teachers’ Association (AIGTA).
The association has raised concerns over how the decision to increase the monthly salary will be implemented. “Will this salary increase benefit only the CTET qualified teachers,” asked Tobaria, adding that that CTET was necessary for permanent post. To register their demand that the salary increase should be for all guest teachers, AIGTA members have decided to boycott the Mega PTM. They have threatened to continue their protests if no written assurance comes from the government.
“In many schools, the guest teachers are in a majority. And if they give the PTM a miss, then the programme will not take place,” warned Tobaria. Meanwhile, permanent teachers affiliated to the Government Teachers’ Association (GSTA) have written to the Directorate of Education (DoE) requesting it to postpone the mega PTM. GSTA claims that the teachers have not been able to check the exam papers due to the autumn break from October 7 to October 12, which leaves them with only two working days to complete their work. “We have asked for postponement of the event as we will not be able to check all the answer-sheets and provide report cards to the parents,” said C P Singh, president of GSTA.