Bhubaneswar: Taking strong exception to the gross apathy of the Odisha government in fulfilling their demands, the protesting teachers of the Higher Education and School and Mass Education departments have decided to boycott the annual Plus Two, Plus Three and the High School Certificate (HSC) examinations.
“We had a meeting with the Higher Education minister and the department secretary yesterday where they requested us to wait for three months for our demands to be fulfilled. We know very well that their assurance is an attempt to deceive us. They have purposefully assured us to wait for three months because by that the time, the annual examinations and the evaluation of papers would be over. Hence we have decided to boycott the annual Plus Two and Plus Three examinations and evaluation of examination papers. We will also gherao all examination hub centres. Under no circumstances shall we allow the concerned authorities to conduct the examinations,” an agitating lady lecturer of the All Odisha 662 (+2 &+3) Non-Government Lecturers' and Employees' Association (AONGLEA), told OTV today.
The Block Grant Secondary School Teachers and Employees Association has also decided to boycott and annual HSC examination and valuation of papers.
Talking to the media persons here today, chief convener of the Association, Prakash Mohanty said the Association has been on agitation for 22 years since 1994 while the latest round of agitation had been on for six months since August 10 last year.
“After 46 days of cease work, the state government had invited us for a discussion followed by an assurance from the Chief Minister that he would sincerely look into our demands. But nothing has been done till date. I want to know whether the Chief Minister is really keen about the development of education in the state. If 6-7 ministers, with important portfolios, fail to take a decision after eight rounds of meeting, the teachers have no option other than going for a cease work. The state government has to bring a grant-in-aid Act for the colleges, secondary school and ME schools. Unless the government introduces the Act, the agitation will continue,” Mohanty pointed out.
“It is grossly unfortunate that the state government has not included the Higher Education minster in the ministerial committee to discuss our demands, which is a clear indication that the Chief Minister is not going to withdraw grant-in-aid policy from the Higher Education. If our minister is not included in the committee, then who will raise our demands? In protest against the decision of the state government, we will stop the annual Plus Three examinations on February 16, university examinations on February 20 and HSC examinations on March 2. We are determined to return from here only after ensuring that the government has withdrawn its block grant policy or else, we will lay down our lives here,” warned Golakh Nayak, president of AONGLEA.