Govt schools in Tamil Nadu stay shut as teachers' strike enters third day

This is the longest unofficial holiday the government school students are enjoying as the schools remain shut even after the Pongal holidays
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: TNIE)
Image for representational purpose only (Pic: TNIE)

Members of the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organization—Government Employees Organization (JACTO-GEO) staged a demonstration across the state as part of their state-wide indefinite strike on Wednesday. Subsequently, more than several thousands of members of JACTO-GEO staged road block protest in Tiruchy, Karur and Thanjavur. More than 13,000 teachers were apprehended by the police for staging protest in the central districts on Wednesday.

According to the protesters, demanding the government to address their nine-point charter of demands including bringing back the old pension scheme scrapping the new one, to give the pending 21-month pay difference at once, stop the merger of 3500 primary schools with high schools and higher secondary schools, shouldn't appoint middle school teachers for LKG and UKG children and others.

The JACTO-GEO has been staging protest across the state for the third consecutive day. Due to the state-wide strike, more than 90 percent of schools remained closed in the central districts. In the Thanjavur district, there are of the total number of 10,900 teachers working in as many as 2,066 Government preliminary, high school and higher secondary schools, 6,685 teachers participated in the strike. Of the total number of 16,550 government employees, a total of 2,018 employees did not turn up to work. A total number of 297 schools remain closed in the district. A total number of 2,400 members were arrested in the district.

Similarly, in Tiruvarur district as many as 2,548 teachers and Government employees who staged road blockade in Taluk headquarters were arrested. As far as Karur district was concerned, around 5,290 teachers from about 1054 government & aided schools took part in the indefinite strike, boycotting work on Tuesday, which accounts to about 90% of teachers in the district. Among them, around 99% of Primary schools were shut down today. A few high schools made alternate arrangements for teachers to conduct their revision exams for class 10 students. During the protest, Kamaeshwari, a teacher of OlapalayamPanchayat Union Primary School fainted, after which she was taken to the hospital. The protest was presided over by Francis Daniel Raja of JACTO and Vijayalalitha of GEO. Police then arrested 513 of them including 254 women, who staged a protest at Taluk office.

At least 8000 government employees affiliated with JACTO-GEO protested and conducted road rokos across Nagapattinam district. The protest took place in forms of road rokos near taluk offices in places such as Nagapattinam. Kilvelur, Vedaranyam, Kuthalam, Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, and near the block educational office of Sembanar Kovil (Tarangambadi). According to SP Office in Nagapattinam, around 1765 teachers were arrested across the police stations. At least 960 government and government-aided schools in the district remain affected without teachers. Many of the middle schools functioned with part-time teachers appointed by the school education department. Tomorrow's action of action needs to be decided by the employees.

In Tiruchy district more than 3,000 members of JACTO GEO staged demonstrations in about seven different places in the district. Accordingly following the protest apart from a few government-aided schools most of the schools were kept locked on Wednesday.

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