With consensus eluding different teacher organisations, the education department’s plan to introduce three tier system for the Government schools of State in sync with pattern followed by Kendriya Vidhyalaya Sangathan (KVS), appears to be in jeopardy.
The Junior High School Shikshak Sangh (JHSSS), which is spearheading the clamor to replace the present four cadre system with three tier system has now threatened to undertake a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ on the issue from next month.
The state President of JHSSS, Subhash Chauhan said that the agitated junior teachers are now geared up for an agitation on implementation of three tier system. He claimed that the state government would save more than ` 200 crores every year by implementing the proposal of doing away the Junior schools. He said that this would also benefit the students who will not have to change schools after class VIII again and can have undisturbed studies from classes VI to X.
“We have prepared the draft of our suggestions on the issue which would be submitted to the Government but we are ready for agitation also. The district units have been asked to submit the list of teachers willing to court arrests. The final decision on ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ would be soon taken,’’ Chauhan said.
The biggest organisation of teachers the Prathemik Shikshak Sangh (PSS) has taken an exactly opposite stand than JHSSS on the issue three tier system of schools. The general Secretary of PSS, Digvijay Singh said that the education department should resolve the issue of upgraded primary schools first as promotions of more than 2500 primary teachers is affected by this. He said that the interests of primary teachers of different streams like Shiksha Mitras, Shiksha Bandus and others should be safeguarded before going for three tier system.
In Uttarakhand the government schools are divided into Primary ( I to V) , Junior High Schools (VI - VIII), High schools (IX and X) and Inter Colleges ( XI and XII) and they have primary, junior, lecturer Teachers (lT) and lecturers in them accordingly. In most of the states and KVS the system of Primary Teacher (PRT), Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) and Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) is followed and the State Government wants to follow this system in Uttarakhand also.