Schools in Maharashtra remained closed today, Friday, December 5, after teachers’ unions declared a strike across the state. Primary and secondary school teachers and non-teaching staff boycotted classes and marched in protest of unsolved issues with the Maharashtra government.
Teachers are protesting primarily against the state government’s decisions to make the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) compulsory and to implement the 2024 school approval and staffing policy, News18 reports.
According to teachers’ unions, compulsory TET has left many senior teachers concerned about the security of their employment. They further allege that the new approval policy could have an impact on staffing, promotions, and school recognition.
The participation in the protests was widespread, with more than a dozen teacher organisations in Amravati alone participating in the strike. Thousands of teachers marched to the collector's office, demanding that the government retract or amend the controversial policies.
The strike has also been supported by MLAs from both the ruling and opposition parties, putting more pressure on the state government.
In the midst of the demonstration, the administration issued a warning stating that the pay of teachers on strike could be withheld. Union leaders fiercely opposed this warning.
According to a teachers’ union leader Sangeeta Shinde, the government published the circular without deliberation, attempting to repress a democratic protest. She requested a prompt response from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Shinde said teachers will not accept salary cuts and urged the government to fulfill their demands as soon as possible. She further cautioned that if teachers are disciplined, the anger will grow even stronger.
