By: Bilal Ahsan Dar
In most societies at most times throughout history, teachers have been among the most respected members of their communities. Sadly, this isn’t the case anymore, atleast not in this part of the world.
Teachers in J&K working under SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) are on the roads again, not for a different reason though. This has been a regular phenomenon with these teachers for a while now, every now and then they are forced to hit the streets, protest, go on pen-down strikes, hunger strikes, school lock outs and candle marches to demand their salaries. This is indeed a pathetic state of affairs, more so because humiliation of a teacher doesn’t give a good impression of any society, and the fact that while already our education system is a derailed one, it is touching new lows with every passing day.
SSA scheme is a central government program launched in 2000-2001, aimed at universalisation of elementary education in a time bound manner as mandated by the 86thamendment to the constitution of India, making free and compulsory education to children between age 6 to 14. The scheme was also implemented by the state government in J&K but with a slight modification. So far as the aims of this scheme, like universalisation of education, increasing enrolment and decreasing dropout rate, is concerned no research is needed to prove that the scheme has been a successful one in J&K, considering the fact that SSA schools are today functioning in every nook and corner of the state, from urban to remotest corners, with most of them especially in rural areas doing their best in universalisation of education.
But unfortunately, over the last 6 years things are not going down well for the teachers of these schools from the government side. It started off just when the current PDP-BJP coalition took over in the state. First there was some hula bulla about a government circular asking these teachers to take some exam to prove their mettle and worth. The circular was in contradiction to the government’s self-formulated criteria, whereby these teachers were inducted into the system on merit basis and with transparency. As Per the appointment orders issued to these teachers, the teacher would work on contractual basis for a period of 5-years as a Rehbar-I Taleem (ReT) on a meagre salary of Rs 1500 – 2000. After the completion of said period, he/she is entitled to be at par with a General line teacher. But on the ground these teachers are being harassed and traumatised by the current government. Their salaries are withheld for months together and every now and then they need to come on roads for their salaries. Issues related to promotions, arrears, transfers and other are needless to mention here. These are distant dreams and probably light years away.
Needless to say that such an attitude has literary caused depression, anxiety and mental trauma for the teachers, their families and children. Obviously, such a situation is bound to cause severe impact on the working of these teachers and the student community is also going to face the brunt.
There have been people in the government who have been assuring these teachers about streamlining of their salaries and tackling of other issues on their own merit, but nothing seems to have changed on the ground. Now the government has found a new way of harassing the lot by saying that there were some ‘technical’ issues in implementation of the scheme, ignoring the fact that the scheme was modified and implemented by the same PDP government when it ruled the state way back in 2000-2001. Therefore for any misadventure, the government itself is responsible, if some officials have gone against the norms, why not bring them to task, why punish a teacher for none of his/ her faults?
