The teachers’ community and state government continue to remain at loggerheads over the controversial decision of conducting screening test of ReT teachers who have obtained their degrees from outside study centers or through distance mode.
On Friday, Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF) held demonstrations. All the schools, according to the Forum, were closed in the afternoon and teachers staged protests at their respective district headquarters to express anger against the government decision.
Earlier on August 5, massive protests erupted in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area after hundreds of ReT teachers assembled and asked the government to withdraw the controversial order till August 20 or face consequences.
President JKTF, Abdul Qayoom Wani, told they would start ‘result oriented’ programme from August 18 if government didn’t withdraw the order till August 17.
“We have given a breathing time to government till August 17 otherwise the situation will take an ugly turn and government will be responsible for the consequences,” Wani said, adding the Forum doesn’t want the students to suffer because of the tussle between the government and teachers.
“We don’t want to affect the academic calendar of students by resorting to protests and other things but the government should withdraw the order to end the tussle, which is directly having a bad impact on career of students.”
The education sector across the state remained disturbed for three consecutive days in the wake of the face-off between state government and teachers.
JKTF convened a meeting on Friday to chalk out the future course of action. Wani said protests would be held across the state on August 18 if the government didn’t withdraw the order by then.
“Teachers in Jammu will take out protest march from Jammu press club to Divisional Commissioner’s office while in Kashmir protest march will be held from the office of the director school education towards civil secretariat,” Abdul Qayoom Wani said.
He said teachers in Leh and Kargil will stage protests at their district headquarters on August 18. “I appeal Chief Minister to intervene into the matter to avoid any complication.”
Wani said there was no intimation from the government for holding deliberations regarding the screening test.
“This order has become the bone of contention between government and teachers community. We are not going to succumb to any sort of pressure. Government should discuss the issue with Teachers Forum so that we also put forward our viewpoint,” Wani said.
He said the Forum had no other option to stage protests as government didn’t hold any deliberations with them.
“They should try to understand the real cause of the protests. We don’t have any other democratic right other than to hit streets,” he said.
Notably, education minister Naeem Akhter has said that the government would go ahead with the screening test as he was not scared of sloganeering and protests.
Akhtar today told , “I have respect for teachers and I want that all of them should not be painted by the same brush. Our teachers are most respected throughout the country.”
The High Court had directed the school education department to scrutinize the degree certificates and conduct screening test of ReTs who have obtained their degrees from outside universities.
