Karwar/Sirsi: Government primary school teachers of Karwar and Sirsi Education Districts boycotted the classes and went on a protest across the district on Tuesday in support of their various demands.
In Karwar, the teachers working in various schools of the education district took out a protest march from the office of the DDPI office till the deputy commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum to the government through In-charge Additional Deputy Commissioner Yogeshwar.
In Sirsi, Siddapur, Mundgod, Yellapur and Joida taluks, hundreds of teachers took out protest rally with umbrellas braving heavy rain.
The teachers insisted that the government should fulfil their long pending demands immediately. Their demands included considering the teachers appointed before 2014 as graduate teachers, the rule of allowing them to teach only up to the fifth standard should be cancelled. The old pension scheme should be continued and the scale of pay should be prescribed. The transfer process pending for the past three years should be resumed. LKG and UKG classes should be established in all the government schools in the State, they said.
Promotions should be given as per the final recommendations of the sixth pay commission. Rural weightage and teachers’ suspension period should be considered in the service period. Primary school teachers should also be promoted to the level of deputy director of public instructions, the protesters said.
The protesters said, the State government should immediately withdraw the order that has directed primary school teachers appointed before 2014 to take the classes from one to five only.
They said, the government should increase student enrollment in government schools.
The experienced primary school teachers should be promoted as high school teachers. Primary school headmasters should be promoted according to the recommendations of the Pay Commission Report, they said.
They threatened to boycott the ‘Teachers’ Day’ programme to be held on September 5 if their demands were not fulfilled. Vidhan Soudha Chalo would also be taken up to pressurise the government, they said.
Government Primary School Teachers’ Association Vice-president Chandrakala Naik, secretary N S Naik, organising secretary M G Naik, treasurer M D Rafiq and others were present.