STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Members of the Jyotikendra Sikshakarmi Santha, Assam have appealed to the State Government to resolve their longstanding grievances during the ensuing Budget Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
Addressing the media here on Monday, the association's president Munmun Chetiya said, "For the last 19 years we have been serving to educate those children in the age group of six to 14 years who cannot attend regular schools as they remain engaged in different types of menial works. We have gained a lot of experience since 2003, when we were first appointed under the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan, Assam."
Chetiya added that although the Jyotikendra Sikshakarmis serve as teachers to under-privileged children across the State, yet they get a monthly salary of only Rs 6,500 per month, which is less than the monthly income of daily-wage earners.
She informed that there are 527 Jyotikendras in Assam at present with a workforce of 815 teachers. Around 25,000 children are studying at these centres and since 2003, almost 1.60 lakh children have come into the fold of mainstream education because of these Jyotikendras.
Chutiya lamented that their salary has not increased for the almost two decades, nor has their service been regularized. Instead, she said, they have had to remain content with empty assurances from the Government.
Chutiya further said, "We had met the then Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and he had told us to acquire the necessary criteria to get posted in regular posts. As per his advice, we have already completed the D El Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) course. But despite completing the same, there is no sign of regularizing our jobs. Instead, we are being told that we must pass the TET examination."
She informed the media that while many of them sat for the TET examination, the fact that no marks were given for experience meant that most of them failed to pass the examination.
She said that according to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 Jyotikendras are 'special training centres' and the teachers working there are 'specially appointed teachers'. While mentioning that the RTE Act does stipulates that all teachers should be TET qualified, Chutiya pointed out that Jyotikendra teachers were appointed in 2003, around six years before the first TET examination was conducted.
"In spite of that, we are being treated as volunteer teachers instead of professional teachers with due pay and status," Chutiya said.
Further pointing out that the Government has included Nursery/KG classes under the ambit of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, she urged the State Government to appoint the D El Ed qualified Jyotikendra teachers as regular teachers in these classes.
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