Bhubaneswar: With the evaluation of annual Plus Two answer scripts being seriously hampered for the last five days due to the ongoing strike by the teachers and staffs of 448 and 662 categories of non-government and aided colleges in the state, the Odisha government on Saturday engaged teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, technical institutes and others having Post Graduate degrees (M Sc) with one year of teaching experience in the evaluation.
“As per our request evaluation of annual Plus Two papers has begun today by the teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, technical institutes and others having Post Graduate degrees (M Sc) with one year of teaching experience. These teachers have joined the evaluation in the evaluation centres allotted to them. The concerned supervisors of the evaluation centre have given them the entry pass. For smooth evaluation, these teachers have been provided with model answer for each question," Dr Basudeb Chhatoi, chairperson of Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), told the media.
Notably, a decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by the secretary, Higher Education, GVV Sharma at the State Secretariat here yesterday.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Sharma had said the government had decided to engage the aforesaid teachers in the evaluation and will take stern action against those who try to prevent them from joining evaluation work.
Talking to OTV, president of 662 category of college teachers and staffs, said the efforts of the state government will not be successful.
“The teachers through whom the government has decided to conduct evaluation belong to our category and have rejected the proposal of the government to join the evaluation work by expressing their solidarity with us. All of us want total abolition of the block grant system," he said.
Expressing grave concern over the ongoing impasse, senior Congress leader Narasingh Mishra said it is grossly unfortunate for the state and its people that while the contract teachers have been staging satyagraha for a long time for fulfillment of their demands, the state government has not taken any steps in spite of its promise that it would fulfill their demands.
“Due to the stubborn attitude of the state government, the future of the students of the state is now in a state of uncertainty,” Mishra observed.
Talking about the alternative measures the state government has taken for evaluation by engaging the teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, technical institutes and others having Post Graduate degree in Science (M Sc) with one year of teaching experience, he said the students will be grossly affected as there cannot be proper evaluation if the aforesaid teachers are engaged in the evaluation.
“I condemn the attitude of the state government and request them to accede to the demands of the agitating teachers which are justified,” he added.
Echoing the same concern, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Prasad Harichandan said the state government should accept the demands of the agitating teachers without any further delay.
“The Congress specifically demands abolition of block grant system and accord the teachers of non-government, private and aided college the status of government teachers,” he added.
Talking to OTV, Higher Education minister Pradip Panigrahi said he has nothing to say on what the Congress, BJP and other parties are saying on this issue.
“I don’t want to politicize the issue as I am concerned with the future of the students. The allegations that the evaluation would be not proper as the state government has decided to rope in the teachers of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Novodaya Vidyalayas and technical institutes, is not right. Let me tell you that these teachers are more experienced as they have earlier evaluated the papers in degree and engineering colleges,” the minister said.
Stating that the state government was forced to take alternative measures as the teachers of 488 and 662 categories of non-government and aided college teachers have refused to conduct evaluation, Panigrahi assured the parents and guardians that there would be proper evaluation and the results would be announced in time.
Reacting to the allegations of the Opposition political parties, he said the this is not the time to play politics.
“The government has given priority to the timely announcement of results to enable the students to pursue their higher studies,” he pointed out.