No official notification on decisions taken: Teachers

CHENNAI: Teachers of various departments from Adi Dravidar Welfare, Tribal welfare and others urged for ‘clarity’ from the State government on the announcement for merging department schools with School Education Departments (SED).

They also urged the government to send out an official notification about revoking the announcement of merging schools under other departments with the SED.

During the budget session in March, the former State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan had announced that schools under all departments, including ADW and denotified communities, will be brought under SED.

And, this department also began collecting data on schools under various departments.

But this announcement was met with several criticisms that students will be deprived of the special focus.

Teachers, educationalists and stakeholders persisted in the schools to not be merged with SED instead demanded to fill vacancies in ADW and other schools and to improve the quality of teaching and infrastructure.

However, even after a year the announcement was made, teachers allege that they have not been informed about the status of this announcement. “After the announcement, the department began actively gathering data and also held a meeting in May last year. But, we’re unaware of the decisions taken about the merging. Also, our concerns are still not addressed by both the officials and minister,” elaborated a teacher of tribal welfare school in Kalvarayan Hills.

The teacher, echoing the voice of educators from other schools, urged the government to release a notification on the status of the announcement. “We need clarity on the status of the announcement on merging schools with SED. We’re kept in the dark about this. Firstly, the announcement is unfair to children from the oppressed community and against the Dravidian model,” said a ADW teacher in Villupuram. “Secondly, we request the State government to promptly revoke the announcement so that welfare schemes and teacher vacancies are filled in the respective schools.”