Bhubaneswar: School teachers under the aegis of Milita BEd Shikshak Mahasangh in a Press meet on Sunday alleged that the government is conspiring to lower the eligibility criteria of teachers in the name of providing quality education.
As the State government has not announced the standard Staff Pattern for Upper Primary schools, BEd teachers and teachers employed as Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) are imparting education at primary schools. They are also getting salary in the scale of Matric CT teachers.
Besides, the government is planning to appoint CT teachers in place of TGTs in all upper primary schools, alleged the Mahasangh.
While the TGTs appointed in all Model Schools and High Schools are getting salary as per the usual pay scale, the TGTs appointed at upper primary schools are not provided salary in the same scale. Therefore, the Mahasangh demanded equal pay for equal work.
The Mahasangh has threatened to launch a mass protest during the coming session of the Odisha Assembly if their demands are not met.
"We are protesting the conspiracy of the government to lower the eligibility criteria of teachers in name of providing quality education. We will stage demonstration in Bhubaneswar during the coming session of the Assembly and will try to spread the message to every district headquarters of the State through democratic means," said Elementary TGT Association president Laxman Kumar Mohanty.