Source
Due to the policy of the state government, 100 schools in Palghar district are on the verge of closure and around 300 schools will have only one teacher. Due to the government’s decision to transfer 467 teachers from Palghar district to other districts, the educational future of thousands of students hangs in the balance.
This decision of the state government is an attempt to take away the right to education given by the constitution and various organizations in the district are opposing this action of the government. In any case, not a single teacher will be allowed to move from this district to another district without filling up the vacancies here, the labor organization working for the tribals and the Jijau organization have warned through a written statement.
Out of 7292 sanctioned teacher posts, 2027 posts are vacant in Palghar district. Due to lack of teachers, about 100 schools in the district have one teacher. Now if these 467 teachers are released, these schools will have zero teachers. The question is being raised as to how these schools will be opened due to lack of teachers.
The decision of the state government to send 486 teachers from Palghar district to other districts is unjust and illegal and violates the provisions of Right to Education Act. With this decision, the number of teacher vacancies in the district will go up from 27.8 percent to 34.5 percent. This is in violation of the 10 percent vacancy provisions of the Right to Education Act.
In the education rights march held at the Dahanu Panchayat Samiti on April 25 by the labor organization, it has warned that if the illegal and unjust decision to send the teachers of the district to other districts is implemented, not a single Zilla Parishad school in Dahanu taluka will be allowed to open in the coming academic year.
The state government had invited online applications from across the state for inter-district transfers. Accordingly, 486 teachers of Palghar district had filed applications. Out of this, 18 to 19 teachers decided to stay in Palghar district, making 467 teachers eligible for transfer to districts outside the district. The chief executive officer of the Zilla Parishad has been ordered by the state government to release these teachers. It is strictly stated that if these teachers are not relieved, the entire responsibility will remain with them.
If this decision of the state government is implemented, about 41 percent of the 1739 sanctioned teacher posts in Dahanu taluk will be vacant. Running a school with only 49 percent teachers is like playing with the lives of tribal students. Brian Lobo, Madhubai Dhodi, Sunil Malavkar, Vinod Bhawar, Ajay Bhoir of the Labor Union have appealed that the Guardian Minister should intervene in this matter and ensure that the tribal children of the district are not deprived of their constitutional right to education.
There is reliable information that there is pressure from various levels on the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad to release the qualified teachers. However, teachers have not been relieved of duty till Thursday considering the high possibility of educational loss of students. Representations are being given to the Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad through various associations of eligible teachers and also through various associations of Zilla Parishad teachers.
How to afford contract teachers?
Although there is an intention to call for applications for vacant posts from qualified teachers through external sources, as per the government decision of the Energy and Labor Department, the Zilla Parishad will be in a financial crisis due to the government decision to pay around seventy thousand rupees to the contract teachers. Therefore, Zilla Parishad cannot recruit teachers on contractual basis due to lack of funds. Currently, the contract teachers of class 9th and 10th also have a hanging sword due to this government decision.
No transfer of teachers will be allowed to avoid educational loss to the poor and needy students of the district. If any movement of transfers is seen, we will protest in Shiv Sena style and thwart this type of movement.
Jayendra Dubla, Group Leader, Zilla Parishad, Palghar
Although there is a responsibility to leave the teachers as per the order of the government, there is another side to the educational future of the students here and to start the school. Therefore, it has been discussed with the guardian minister and this decision needs to be taken at the government level.
Bhanudas Palve, Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad Palghar
