A large number of primary school teachers held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar here on Thursday to protest against the non-fulfilment of their long-pending demands.
Coming together under the banner of the All-India Primary Teachers’ Federation, the protesters, who were led by Federation president Ram Pal Singh, marched from Ramlila Maidan to Parliament Street where they were addressed by leaders of different teachers’ associations.
The Federation, which claims to represent nearly 23 lakh primary and upper primary teachers, has been demanding among other things implementation of the Right to Education Act within the prescribed time-frame.
It has demanded that each primary and upper primary school should have a head teacher irrespective of the number of students. The Federation has also called for abolishing the policy of public-private partnership in school education and implementation of the Common School System.
Apart from this it has asked for abolishing the Teacher Eligibility Test; implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission in all the States; bringing the existing contract/ para-teachers to the mainstream after providing them professional training; restoration of previous pension scheme and gratuity; and appointment of a dependent of the family in government service on compassionate grounds in the event of death of a teacher in service.
The protesters also courted arrested when they were prevented by the Delhi Police from proceeding towards Parliament.