Over 200 teachers detained on last day of stir

The teachers demanded that state government should fix their pay scales on par with union government teachers, besides resolving the anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission, scrap Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and appoint teachers based on seniority. 

The Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations (JACTTO) has urged the state government to implement Tamil as method of instruction in schools. P.Udayakumar, treasurer of the Tamil Nadu Asiriyar Munnetra Sangam said that thousands of teachers from across the state took part in the 3-day protest, which started on January 30. 

“Over 500 teachers took part in the protest in Chennai and across the state several thousands of teachers were part of the protest. We will convene JACTTO’s high level committee tomorrow or day after to decide our future course of action if the government does not heed to our demands today,” he said. 

The Education department says it had taken steps to make all government schools function smoothly in the wake of teacher protest across the state. The department had deployed teachers from neighbouring schools, besides engaging the services of non-teaching staff for those schools where teachers failed to come. 

Meanwhile, the Peoples’ Welfare Front (PWF), comprising MDMK, CPI, CPM and VCK has extended their support to the teachers’ protest. The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) has also expressed solidarity for the protest.