Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan strike: 1.25 lakh students suffer in Kasturba Gandhi vidyalayas in Telangana
During the past week, there has been no classroom teaching happening in the KGBVs. While some district education officers made alternative arrangements to teach Class 10 students, the rest of the students were left in the lurch
Sangareddy: A strike by employees under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Telangana from December 11 is affecting a staggering 1.25 lakh students in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) across the State. This is after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy failed to keep the promise he made to them before the elections.
The teaching process in 479 KGBVs in 31 districts of Telangana, excluding Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, all of which together have 1.25 lakh girl students enrolled, has come to a halt with the strike for the last five working days.
While one lakh students were enrolled up to Class 10, 25,000 were enrolled in intermediate courses. Of the 479 institutes, 283 were upgraded to intermediate level by the State government. The KGBVs have played a vital role in offering free residential education to orphaned, semi-orphaned, and poor girl students over the years.
During the last week, there has been no classroom teaching happening in these KGBVs. While some District Education Officers made alternative arrangements to ensure classes for Class 10 students, who face crucial examinations in less than three months, the rest of the students are left in the lurch.
The KGBVs function under the SSA. Apart from KGBV staff, other staff inducted under SSA into the Education department too have gone on strike. Interestingly, Revanth Reddy, before coming to power, had promised to fulfill all the demands of the SSA once the Congress came to power. However, the staff allege that he did not consider even a single one of their demands so far, even a year after assuming charge as Chief Minister.
Speaking to Telangana Today, Marvelli Dattu, the Sangareddy district president of the SSA employees association, said they had urged the government to regularise their employment besides providing a life insurance cover of Rs.10 lakh and a health insurance cover of Rs.10 lakh.
They also urged the government to provide retirement benefits of Rs.25 lakh to the SSA employees after their retirement.
Secretary Anitha Chary said they had demanded the government to give weightage to SSA staff in regular recruitment in the Education department.
They recalled that Revanth Reddy had met them at Dharna Chowk to support their demands before he came to power, but apparently has ignored them after becoming the Chief Minister. The staff have been staging regular protests near district collectorates across the State, with the protests snowballing into a major State-wide strike from December 11.
