The head teachers of the state Primary schools across the state on Monday ceased work demanding official recognition to their posts.
The Assam State Primary Teachers Association on Sunday had announced that from Monday all head teachers of the state would cease work till the state government accorded official recognition to the post.
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The association also locked the district-level offices of the education department at different places of the state.
The lower primary teachers launched the protest after Assam government decided to slash their grade pay from Rs 8,700 to Rs 7,400 recently.
“In a primary school all teaching staff work as assistant teachers and based on seniority one of them does the job of a head teacher. However, there is no recognition for the post from the government. A head teacher does all official work, including financial transactions. Even the certificate issued by a headmaster is recognised as a document in the NRC update. As the post has a number of responsibilities, we demand government recognition for it,” Ratul Chandra Goswami, the general secretary of the teachers’ association, told reporters here on Sunday.
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“This strike will affect the distribution of midday meals in every school. It will also create uncertainty for the upcoming Gunotsav. We have instructed all teachers to carry out public meetings in their respective areas. So that the people can also understand the issue,” he added.
Based on the Seventh Pay Commission, the primary teachers of Assam, from April to September of 2017, got Rs 8,700 after which the anomaly committee was formed.
It was constituted by the government under the chairmanship of retired official P.K. Dutta to consider the grievances of the employees and examine anomalies in the recommendation of the Seventh Assam Pay and Productivity Pay Commission.
On June 5, the state government announced that it would accept the report of the committee.
Education minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya said, “I have not been informed about the matter yet. We can solve the issue with discussion rather than protest.”