Schools in Chennai are bracing for significant disruption as they prepare to reopen after the half-yearly holidays. While classes are scheduled to resume on January 5, a planned strike by a major union coalition threatens to impact crucial revision sessions for upcoming board examinations.
Unions Firm on Strike Action, Detail Key Demands
The Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organizations and Government Employees Organisation, known as Jactto-Geo, has confirmed its decision to proceed with industrial action starting January 6. The decision was reinforced during a preparation conference held in Madurai on a recent Saturday.
The unions have presented a list of non-negotiable demands to the state government. Their primary calls include:
- Scrapping the contributory pension scheme for employees who joined service after April 1, 2003, and restoring the old pension scheme.
- Granting teaching staff pay parity with Central government scales.
- Filling nearly 30% of current vacancies across various government departments.
- Raising the quota for compassionate appointments from 5% to 25%.
P Pandi, the Jactto-Geo district coordinator, highlighted specific grievances, stating there are numerous discrepancies affecting non-teaching staff, sanitation workers, and teachers appointed on contract between 2002 and 2010 that require rectification. He issued a stark political warning, indicating the union's readiness to vote against the ruling DMK government in the coming elections if their demands remain unmet.
Academic Schedule Under Threat Ahead of Board Exams
The timing of the strike poses a severe challenge for schools and students. With general elections scheduled next year, the academic calendar is already compressed. School administrators express deep concern over losing vital time meant for revision.
K Chandrakala, headmistress of a corporation school, explained the typical schedule, noting that revision classes usually begin just a few days before the Pongal festival. "A protest right after schools reopen will be problematic," she stated, emphasizing the poor timing for academic preparation.
Echoing this sentiment, Jayanthi, an assistant headmistress at a Chennai government school, outlined their plan to complete portions in the first week of January and immediately start revisions. She fears the protest will significantly reduce teacher availability in schools, directly impacting student support.
Union Assurances and Firm Stance
Despite the academic concerns, union leaders remain steadfast. Vincent Paul, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Teachers' Federation, declared that the protest would neither be advanced nor postponed. "We have been silent for the past five years. It is all up to the government whether they wish to end the strike or prolong it," he asserted.
He offered an assurance, promising that teachers would work overtime to compensate for lost instructional time once their demands are met. Kamala Kannan, a Jactto-Geo member and Chennai president for the TN Secondary Grade Teachers Association, also sought to allay fears, stating teachers would not leave students in the lurch during protest actions.
The ultimate concern, however, rests on the students. S Arumainathan, president of the Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association, acknowledged that students would bear the brunt of the disruption. He urged both the government and Jactto-Geo to take necessary steps to ensure minimal impact on the academic progress of children across the state.
