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'Guides of education' feel humiliated

ESS AHMAD. Dated: 3/20/2018 12:25:33 PM

SSA teachers struggle for survival

SRINAGAR, Mar 19: During the previous NC-Congress regime when SSA teachers would hold protests the then opposition, People's Democratic Party (PDP), would corner the government accusing it of failing the teacher community.
However, after the PDP formed the government with BJP in the state in early 2015, it assured the SSA teachers of solving all their issues including the delay in salaries for months together. Now the PDP is in power for more than three years. Thousands of teachers appointed under SSA from last over a decade continue to await redressal of their grievances.
Besides other issues the biggest issue SSA teachers have been facing from last five years is the non-payment of their salaries for months together.
Though the authorities during last couple of years many a time assured the SSA teachers that their salaries will be streamlined but the assurances never turned into a reality.
Naeem Akhter who held the education portfolio for two years is on record assuring the protesting SSA teachers twice that their salary issue will be resolved in a month but even his portfolio changed teachers continue to suffer.
The latest assurance to these aggrieved teachers came from the current education minister, Mohammad Altaf Bukhari only a couple of weeks ago when thousands of teachers assembled in Srinagar braving heavy rains seeking their salaries. After witnessing a huge throng of teachers at Press Enclave protesting for their salaries, the minister had told the press that their salaries will be released within a week’s time only.
However, scores of teachers who spoke to Kashmir Times said that following the protest, they got only one month’s salaries.
"Out of three or four months pending salary we were given a one month salary thus belying the claims of the education minister. Whenever, we hold protest demonstration or threaten lock down of schools, the ministers in order to pacify our anger come up with assurance, seeking week’s time but their assurances never prove to be true," said Ghulam Nabi, a representative of teachers in an educational zone in Anantnag.
The delay in release of the salaries, these teachers say, have not only affected their social life but has made their survival tough. "Now even the shopkeepers are refusing to give us eatables and other essentials on credit because they know we won't be able to clear their debit for months together. In case of ailments we have to borrow the money from relatives or friends. Some teachers who have availed loans are now psychologically disturbed as they are not able to clear their loans," said another teacher Arshad Ahmad.
A teacher Mushtaq Ahmad who was regularised two years ago regrets his decision to choose the job.
"When I was appointed as ReT my joy knew no bounds but as the years passed by I started regretting my decision not because the profession is not good but due to the attitude of the authorities towards teaching community. We have to hit the streets after every three to four months to get a one month salary. There can be no worst humiliation than this," Ahmad said.
Both the previous and present regimes, Ahmad said, have failed the teaching community.
All efforts to reach secretary education, and Director Education G N Itoo did not materialise as their phones were either switched off or out of reach.