Education staff protest in Pune against state schemes

We marched on behalf of all the organisations in the education sector of Pune district to oppose the Maharashtra government’s school adoption scheme, contracting of government jobs, and closing of schools in the name of the cluster school scheme, said members

On Friday, October 13, various teaching and non-teaching organisations led a march from Shaniwar Wada to the Pune district collector’s office in protest of certain controversial decisions of the state government. The protesting organisations appealed to all the schools in Pune district to remain closed. Similarly, postcards were made available to the students of these schools to write letters of protest to the state governor.

Postcards have been distributed to the students and letters have been written by the students of some schools on Friday. They will soon be collected and sent to the governor. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The protest march – organised on behalf of the Maharashtra State Shikshan Bachav Committee, Pune district – witnessed participation from hundreds of teachers, principals and office-bearers of 30 to 32 organisations in the education sector of Pune district.

Shivaji Khandekar, coordinator of the committee, said, “We marched on behalf of all the organisations in the education sector of Pune district to oppose the Maharashtra government’s school adoption scheme, contracting of government jobs, and closing of schools in the name of the cluster school scheme. The government should immediately stop contracting of the education sector.”

Narayan Shinde, president, Primary Teachers’ Association, Pune, said, “The cluster schools’ decision, the school adoption scheme, privatisation of schools and contracting of government jobs will result in a huge loss to the education sector. Therefore, students are going to write letters to the state governor, hoping that these controversial decisions will be cancelled. The aim is to send 5 lakh letters to the governor of Maharashtra.”

The letters being written by the students read: “Respected governor sir, the government of Maharashtra is depriving the poor, rural and tribal boys and girls of education by closing schools in the name of cluster schools. By introducing the school adoption scheme, the education of the poor in an economically backward society like ours is going to be stopped. By privatising education and contracting jobs, our future is in jeopardy. It is our earnest request to cancel these decisions taken by the government immediately.”

Postcards have been distributed to the students and letters have been written by the students of some schools on Friday. They will soon be collected and sent to the governor.