The Tamil Nadu Teachers Association has written to the Department of School Education demanding that students from the sixth standard be provided with laptops so that they can adapt to the quickly changing and more technologically inclined environment. The Association’s State Executive Committee has come up with a total of ten resolutions that they want the department to implement.

The Association also demanded that teachers above the age of 55, those with heart diseases, cancer, kidney disease and pregnant women be exempted from election duty. “The details of the teachers are currently being collected for assembly election work that will happen in May. We request the department to exempt transferees and high school principals during this time due to the pandemic,” the TNTA said.

The Committee is also demanding that the rule to allow appointment of teachers up to the age 40 be withdrawn and for the norm to be as it was previously. They also said teachers should be given back their higher education incentive pay rise. The state government should pay the accounts manager the same salary as the central government pays to its accountants. “Adjust the medicare program to suit all health conditions like the central government,” the TNTA also urged.

They also want the appointment of those who have passed the TET to be made on the basis of seniority. The TNTA urged the government to cancel the new pension plan and revert to the old one and for the department to cancel action under section 17(B) on teachers involved in protests. The teachers also placed before the department a request they’ve been making on behalf of students for the last few months - to announce the syllabus that has been cut for students preparing for board exams. They also thanked the government for the 7.5 per cent internal quota for government students in NEET.