Ad-hoc teachers take out rally against TET being made mandatory

SNS, Gangtok, 7 November 2013: A large number of ad-hoc teachers working in different government-run schools across the state took out a rally in the capital on Wednesday as part of their ongoing movement against the state government’s decision to make Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for regular appointment.

With the state government firm on its norms for regularisation and the chief minister warning the striking teachers to ‘resume work or face action’, around 200 ad-hoc teachers began their rally from the East District Collector’s Office and travelled across the capital up to the Guards’ Grounds near here.

Rallying under All Sikkim Ad-hoc Teachers Welfare Association (ASATWA), the teachers, some of whom have been holding a sit-in outside the East District Collector’s office for the past 16 days, demanded job regularisation.

The agitating teachers also rued the state government’s indifference towards their demands despite the sit-in and stir continuing for the past 16 days, including pen-chalk down strikes in schools across the state. 

ASATWA president, Mr Prakash Sharma said the rally was staged to display solidarity and unity among the teachers over their demands and also to pressurise the government to resolve them. 

He also appealed the teachers, now on pen-down strike, to continue it voluntarily. 

On the state government’s appeal to resume work, Mr Sharma said the state government would have to resolve the issue.