Members of Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha hold protest march

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, June 3

School teachers associated with the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha held a protest march and burned effigies of the Punjab education minister and secretary here today. Teachers said the department had recently announced holidays, but departmental and classroom work was being done as per previously devised schedule.

Teachers held a protest march from the PUDA grounds in the city while holding black flags. They also burned effigies.

They were protesting against the state government’s decisions according to which teachers were to hold online zoom classes, meetings, training, distribute food and books and work for students’ admission during summer holidays, protesters added.

The government is destroying education with the implementation of the new policy. The services of contractual teachers are not being regularised. Teachers infected with Covid are given sick leave instead of 30 days’ isolation period as directed by the Department of Personnel. —Vikramdev Singh, member, Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha

“The government has also not implemented the Sixth Punjab Pay Commission,” said protesters.

Association leaders said the state government was closing government schools under the cover of reducing employees in the Education Department. “The government’s victimisation of employees, who participated in protests, has been continuing since 2019,” leaders added.

Vikramdev Singh of the teachers’ union said, “The government is destroying education fabric with implementation of the new policy. Services of contractual teachers are not being regularised.”

“Also, teachers infected with Covid are given sick leave instead of 30 days’ isolation period as directed by the Department of Personnel,” he added.

Their demands included not appointing retired teachers in schools and providing proper facilities for conducting examinations, he said.

Later, teachers submitted memorandum regarding their demands at the Deputy Commissioner’s office.