SRINAGAR: A high level delegation of senior most leaders of Jammu Kashmir Teachers’ Forum met Advisor to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Rajiv Bhatnagar at Civil Secretariat Jammu.
The delegation was led by Mr Muhammad Akbar Khan, President Jammu Kashmir Teachers’ Forum who was accompanied by Suraj Singh Toofani, Jamaat Ali Aga and Muhammad Shafi Rather. The delegation was listened to at length and with utmost gravity keeping the authority engrossed and enthralled for the entire comprehensive discourse.
The Advisor was told that the students have been the worst of sufferers during the Covid-19 period and now that the situation is easing out, let them be allowed to attend the schools while strictly adhering to the SOPs prescribed to control and fight this pandemic. The students must be called back to attend the regular sessions in the schools so that they could make up to the losses they have suffered. They asked the worthy authority to take rationalization of teaching staff on the prescribed format of pupil-teacher ratio keeping in consideration the need of at least one subject expert at any cost.
At the same time, since the scheme “Aao School Chalay” has been successfully implemented in Kashmir division, the same must be executed in Jammu division as well, for the benefit of students in particular and the department in general.
The delegation pleaded for upgradation of infrastructure on a smart basis in the entire government run education sector. This shall set the new vistas ajar for the society and in turn the enrolment shall gain impetus, relieving the society from the curse of privatization of the same.
Similarly the members suggested creation of posts, promotion of all cadres and filling-up of vacant posts, justice for the CWPs, said that the Regularization of Contingency Paid Workers as the class-IV employees should be done to secure the said lot so that they have some sense of responsibility and belongingness, besides absorption of Sakshar Bharat Mission (SBM) people into the departmental main stream.
Repartition of lecturers, head masters working in Doda and other areas was another issue discussed with the Hon’ble Advisor.
The delegation sought a clear-cut transfer policy for teachers of summer and winter zones of Jammu division as well.They also raised the issues of pay anomaly with respect to union territory saying that they want the revision of pay scales as per the UT grades with retrospective effect from the day when J&K became a Union Territory.
The burning issue of Regularization of RETs and conversion of RRETs to Teacher Grade-2 and Grade-3 and release of their pending salary and arrears was taken up for discussion.
The members suggested that the nomenclature of class-IV employees be changed to office assistants as the contemporary society is witnessing moral elevation and ethical upliftment.
In keeping with the needs and requirements the delegates emphasised over the creation and sanction of posts of Junior Assistants, Class-IV and Ministerial Staff in Upgraded Middle and High Schools.
At the same time it was demanded that there should be the implementation of a transfer policy in favour of teachers appointed under RET scheme and also that the transition of Grade-2/3 teachers on to substantive posts be made possible.
The members on board stressed the need of a Running pattern (in-situ Promotion) in favour of +2 lecturers, to relieve them of the agonizing feel of stagnation.
A prospective approach was exhibited by the quorum while discussing the creation of “teachers’ welfare fund” the file for which is already projected in the administrative department. Pertinently there will be no financial implications as the teachers (stakeholders) will be the contributors themselves.
The delegation also advocated that in light of the changing world scenario there is a dire need of introduction of new and job-oriented subjects at 10+2 level in the department, for example food technology, wood technology, fisheries, social service, sericulture, tourism and likewise.
Finally the members invoked the Advisor with the supplication that there should be the inclusion of 16 years of service in the record of the migrant substitute teacher.
The Advisor assured swift and prompt action with regard to all the issues raised by the delegation.

KR Desk