Maharashtra: No decision on grants leaves protesting teachers disappointed

“We are not going to participate in election duty and have refrained from giving our particulars to education officers. We demand our full salaries before being made to work for the government,” said Prashant Redij, Mumbai president of Maharashtra State (Permanent) Unaided School Kruti Samitee.

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“(Then School Education Minister) Vinod Tawde had promised to take a decision once the Lok Sabha polls ended, but nothing of the sort happened. Later, a new minister took charge and we had to appeal again. Now, all the efforts will be wasted if another minister takes charge after the polls,” said Redij.

Both groups are sceptical of a decision anytime soon as the code of conduct will kick in ahead of the Assembly polls.

In 2016, after protests by teachers, the state government had decided to extend aid to 1,628 primary and secondary private unaided schools, beginning with covering 20 per cent of all administrative costs, that was disbursed as salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff. It was also decided that the aid would be gradually scaled up to 100 per cent in five phases but did not specify a timeline for its implementation.

Teachers from higher secondary schools and junior colleges were not offered any grant. As per a government resolution on February 26, 2014, the word “permanent” was removed from the names of these schools and junior colleges, paving the way for them to receive government aid. Unaided higher secondary schools and junior colleges were declared eligible for grants in five phases after assessment but no announcement was made after that.

“Does it take four and a half years to finish the assessment of higher secondary schools? A delegation had gone to meet (School Education, Youth and Students Development Minister) Ashish Shelar but we received the same reply… We will continue our protest.

We were once again told by Shelar that our file will be presented to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but that it will take time. We are unhappy with the delay,” said Sangapal Sonawane, a member.

“There is a process and work is going on. The subcommittee formed to look into the matter has completed its job and the files are with the finance department,” said Shelar.