Bhubaneswar: Representatives of four primary teachers’ forums and associations met the commissioner-cum-secretary of school and mass education (SME) department on Monday and presented their longstanding demands. The teachers discussed issues like grade pay revision and a hike in the entry-level grade pay for primary teachers to Rs 4,200, along with the abolition of contractual appointments at the primary level.
They also requested the addition of six years of contractual service with six notional increments to be considered in regular pay. Additionally, they made a plea to free teachers from non-teaching duties that hamper academic responsibilities and called for a streamlined promotion process for primary teachers.
A significant concern raised was the abolition of headmaster posts in primary and upper primary schools due to the merger of such institutions with high schools. This, they said, led to administrative and academic challenges that require urgent resolution.
Another pressing issue discussed was the shortage of Hindi and Sanskrit teachers in upper primary schools for Classes 6, 7, and 8. Representatives suggested that NCERT conduct a six-month certificate training course for in-service teachers to address this gap in language education.
“The commissioner-cum-secretary assured us that all their demands were noted and would be addressed with the best possible efforts at the govt level,” Sunil Kumar Pradhan, convenor of United Primary Teachers Forum, said.