Delhi government school guest teachers intensify protest for better pay, full-time jobs
The future of 25,000 guest teachers was left in a limbo after their contracts expired on February 28 following a Delhi high court directive last year.
“We are teachers, but we work like daily wage labourers,” a guest teacher of a Delhi government school in Wazirpur, said on Monday.
The physical education teacher — along with hundreds like her — has been protesting since March 1, demanding regularisation of jobs and a policy to address their concerns.
The future of 25,000 guest teachers was left in a limbo after their contracts expired on February 28 following a Delhi high court directive last year.
The directive came after a plea filed by NGO Social Jurist against the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board over appointment of regular teachers. The matter is listed for hearing on Tuesday.
On Monday, the teachers continued their stir outside the residence of education minister Manish Sisodia who had met their representatives a day earlier and had assured them that the government “shall pass the policy as per their demand and do all the needful to help them”.
“They (guest teachers) have given a representation where they have demanded a policy,” said Sisodia. “We have already passed a Bill to make them permanent. But, because of Centre’s order on services, the lieutenant governor has to take a call on it. Files related to services are not even shown to us. It is the Centre who has to decide now.”
A guest teacher, who has been teaching for eight years, said they were confident of a contract renewal as schools will not be able to manage without their services
“We do not want these small top-up recharges,” Shoaib Rana, member of All India Guest Teachers’ Association, said while referring to extensions. “They will renew our contracts for maybe a couple of months and then, we will be in the same spot again.”
