Students rally round teachers

CUTTACK: The woes of the State Government following the teachers’ agitation over demands for abolition of the block grant system and provisioning of equal pay for equal work are all set to compound further with students joining the issue.  Students under the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) on Friday announced a State-wide strike from  September 9 not only to press for the abolition of block grant system and reimplementation of grant-in-aid to the teachers but also against the decision to do away with the yearly examinations up to class VII. The agitation would also cover the issue of skyrocketing school fees and educational costs as the Government pushes private entrepreneurship in the sector.  Students of schools and colleges across the State would boycott classes and hold demonstrations and rallies to raise the issues and pressurise the Government to take corrective measures.  Deeming the demands of the agitating teachers as legitimate, the AIDSO on Friday said that the confrontationist attitude of the Government has led to non-functioning of around 1983 schools in the State. More than four lakh children have been affected in the process, State secretariat member Sibasish Praharaj said.  The students’ body has also opposed withdrawal of class examinations including the Class VII Board examinations as well as the pass-fail system. The “no-detention principle” would prove disastrous if it is not preceded by proper and adequate education infrastructure and teaching system in the vital primary education centres. The school infrastructure continues to be dismal while over 82,000 teachers posts are vacant in the State. “Bringing in the no-detention policy at this juncture would  prove counter productive as the students will have no inclination to study in the earnest as they would not be backed up proper teaching”, secretary of Cuttack unit Bhagyarabi Das said.  Das also voiced opposition to the promotion of self-financing courses through private enterprises. This has led to spiralling of education costs taking them beyond the reach of majority of the population. The enhancement of school and college fees should also be curtailed.