The Telegraph

Darjeeling, March 9: The Janmukti Secondary Teachers’ Organisation has decided not to evaluate the answer scripts of the Madhyamik candidates this year and has threatened to abstain from invigilation during the coming Higher Secondary examinations unless its demands are fulfilled.

Bijay Pradhan, the general secretary of the union affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: “We had submitted a list of demands to the state government on June 30, 2009 and had met bureaucrats, including the additional chief secretary. These officials are passing the buck between the DGHC and the state government. We strongly believe that the government is responsible for all that ails the education system in the hills.”

The union had last year demanded that an adhoc board be formed to recommend regularisation of contract teachers, appointment of headmasters, recognition and upgrade of junior high schools.

“Since our demands have not been fulfilled, we have decided to boycott the evaluation of the Madhyamik answersheets and will not invigilate in the Higher Secondary examinations,” said Pradhan.

The DGHC area has 41 high schools, 53 junior basic schools and 34 higher secondary schools with 1,350 teachers, of whom 450 have been recruited on an adhoc basis. The union wants these teachers to be regularised as they are already appointed against sanctioned posts.

“More than 50 vacancies of headmasters have not been filled up. The teachers-in-charge have been asked to undergo the headmaster’s training in Kalimpong from tomorrow but when it comes to their appointment, the government is developing cold feet,” said Tshering Tamang, a member of the union.

Most of the adhoc teachers have been appointed largely because Subash Ghisingh’s regime did not accept the School Service Commission. “Once the interests of the adhoc teachers are taken care of, the government can come up with its own policy of recruitment,” said Pradhan.

Bhisan Roka, the media and publicity secretary of the union, said: “Even junior high schools are not being recognised. A district like North Dinajpur, which is smaller when compared to the DGHC, has 106 high schools, whereas the hills have only 41. They, however, have only 20 junior basic schools compared to 53 such institutions in the DGHC area. This clearly shows that the government does not even want to upgrade the hill schools.”

The union said the demands had already been endorsed by the DGHC and forwarded to the education department on November 30.
————
www.kalimpong.info