Seeking Job Security, Merit Weightage, Covid Economic Package- Guest Teachers Stage Protest

Seeking Job Security, Merit Weightage,Covid Economic Package- Guest Teachers Stage Protest in front of Mini Vidhana Soudha, Mangaluru on Monday, 31 August, as part of the call for a State-Wide Protest.

 Mangaluru : Guest lecturers/teachers are appointed in the schools where there is an insufficient number of teachers due to transfers and long leave. Even as the state government has decided to protect school teachers working in the unaided sector during lockdown by asking the managements to provide salary without fail, hundreds of guest teachers working in the higher secondary sector of government and aided schools for daily wages are still facing the brunt of government delay in paying them wages and other facilities. When Covid-19 lockdown kicked in, many of these guest lecturers lost jobs, also due to their contract ending prior to the lockdown.
The guest lecturers were appointed in the schools where there is an insufficient number of teachers due to transfers and long leave. The appointments are usually made, ensuring that they cover the syllabus. Despite the fact that they are daily wage employees, the government gives salary as a consolidated pay after completing a month. However, their condition is pathetic since the lockdown was imposed. Hence, the guest teachers’ union had urged the government to include them also in the beneficiary list of those eligible for receiving wages. But until now, the government has turned a blind eye against their demands.

“Since lockdown, my income has come down, and I can’t even scout for other jobs due to the pandemic. I used to take tuition for children in the locality. Now, it has also been stopped due to lockdown protocol. Normally, we get a low pay when compared to permanent teachers. Now, our situation is more pathetic.We have not been getting their full benefits for the last so many years, and not even the Covid-10 economic package as assured by the government. In fact, guest teachers are the ones who compensate for the dearth of permanent teachers and they work hard. So, we request the government to grant the required wages so that our lives won’t be adversely affected,” said said a lady guest teacher who worked in a government school.

The guest teachers of the DK District Unit of the State Government Primary and High School Guest Teachers Association staged a protest as part of the call for a state-wide protest, in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha here on 31 August 2020 at 11 am in support of several of their demands. They urged the government to provide a Covid special financial package, job security, ESI, PF facilities for guest teachers and ID cards. They have also sought a hike in salary and have urged the government to pay 12 months salary to them.

Speaking at the protest, State President of DYFI Muneer Katipalla said, “It’s indeed sad to note that these guest lecturers are not getting paid for their sincere and dedicated service, for the last several months. The government has pushed them into a situation where they have to work like labourers. Due to the failure of government’s help towards these teachers, the president of Guest Lecturers’ Association has been working in the fish market, and the Association secretary is helping out at her husband’s fast food restaurant. And this is how the present BJP government is treating these educated women guest teachers”. .

Among the demands put forth during the protest were – The government should provide Covid-19 economic package to them; ESI and provident facility to the lecturers should be provided; They should be provided identity card and service certificate; Salary of all 12 months should be paid, and also salary should be paid in the first week of every month; and the government should pass an order where those who are serving as guest lecturers should not be removed from job and there should provide job security

Mrs Chandrika-the president and Mrs Chitralekha K- the Secretary of AISEC also spoke during the protest. Yet another guest teacher from the district called the delay “inhuman”, and any delay is only adding to our woes,” she added. “How can we conduct classes with 100% dedication without pay,” she asked. Another guest teacher urged the government to increase the honorarium, confirm their employment and ensure timely payment of salary. DYFI leaders Santhosh Bajal, and Moideen M of SDMC also supported the protesters.

In conclusion, the ground reality is that teachers have been going to institutions every day in the hope of seeing some money trickling into their bank accounts. The government instead of building statues in the State, the salary of the hard working guest teachers should be paid along with interest on arrears.