Date:20/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/20/stories/2008112051230300.htm

Other States - Orissa

OSSTA demands uniform education policy

Staff Reporter

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa Secondary School Teachers’ Association (OSSTA) on Wednesday announced a series of agitations to press for a uniform education policy and equal treatment to all teachers.

Addressing a press conference, the OSSTA General Secretary Kishore Kumar Panda said the agreement between the UK Department for International Development and the State Government on shaping the primary education would come to an end in April 2009.

“The agreement has spoiled the education system in the State. Instead of gaining, the education system has advanced more towards ruining phase. State Government needs to look at a concrete uniform policy for education and teachers,” Mr. Panda said.

He said the OSSTA had been involved in a series of parleys with Chief Minister’s Office, Finance Minister and Education Minister to bring about a change. “Despite the positive assurances, there seems to be no change in ground level.

Teachers are always taking to the street and education in schools is getting hampered,” he said.

Successive State Governments had taken a plea that due to the DFID agreement there could not be any change in policy matters, Mr. Panda said demanding that since there would not be any agreement in force after April, 2009 the State Government should immediately spell out its action plan for education.

Situation worsened to such an extent that students in non-government schools could not avail free textbooks and other government welfare schemes, the OSSTA charged.

Dharna planned

As a first step towards carrying forward the agitation, about 500 teachers, mostly office bearers of OSSTA, would sit on a dharna in front of residence of Education Minister on November 26 if the State Government failed to come out with declaration giving 100 per cent aid to block grant schools by November 25, Mr. Panda said.

Subsequently, thousands of teachers would court arrest during Assembly session demanding State Government’s attention, he said.

Simultaneously, if things remained static, public meeting would be convened in block level apprising intellectuals about devastative education system in the State, OSSTA General Secretary said.