Education suffers, state high schools remain closed

Secondary and higher secondary schools in the city and its periphery remained closed for the second consecutive day following indefinite strike observed by the academic and non-academic staff of the schools. While students are keeping off the school, teachers are going to the schools but are refraining from signing the attendance register as per the strike call.

The statewide strike call given by the Gujarat State Academic Coordination Council Committee is being participated by Gujarat State School Management Association, Gujarat State Principals’ Committee, Gujarat State Higher Secondary Teachers Committee, Gujarat State Secondary Teachers’ Association and Gujarat State Administrative Staff Association even as thousands of students are loosing out on their studies and parents ponder on the state-of-affairs.

"Everyone lost out on the last academic session after the earthquake since schools were closed down. Syllabus was curtailed and mass promotion was given to students across the schools. That was a different incident which none could have escaped. But now we are loosing out on our studies simply because our teachers refuse to teach us," remarked a student of an English medium school at Navrangpura requesting anonymity.

Students and parents seemed helpless over the strikes that have become common to the schools. "How could teachers call of education? It is so unfair that because of them their students are loosing out on their education. If the government meets their demands, they would happily come back to work at the expense of students’ loss, since they are most likely to cut short the course or hurriedly cover the syllabus considering the time crunch," said one Pratik Parmar, father of a student studying at NP Thakkar High School, Paldi. He also referred to the strike called by GSACCC last year that lasted for 12 days.

It should be recalled that school employees are demanding revoking 20 percent cut on appointment of staff at secondary and higher secondary schools, implementation of the fifth wage board recommendations on the academic staff of the schools, payment of conveyance allowance to the schools’ staff, among others.

Republished from The Asian Age