Aspiring teachers protest over fewer posts

Tirupati: The issue of Andhra Pradesh DSC notification has stirred the unemployed teachers to take to the streets after finding that there were only 42 SGT (Secondary Grade Teacher) posts in Chittoor. 

The notification dashed the hopes of about 35,000 qualified teachers who are eagerly aspiring for SGT posts for four years. Most of them, who after spending huge amounts of money for undergoing coaching to get through the tough competition in the DSC test, were shocked at the meager number SGT posts notified in the AP DSC 2018 Chittoor.

In many places, the qualified unemployed teachers staged protests demanding the government re-notification duly taking into account the vacant SGT teacher post which they claim is more than 1,000 in the district.

Speaking to The Hans India, Graduate Constituency MLC Y Sreenivasulu Reddy said that in Kuppam constituency alone about 400 Vidya volunteers are working in the vacant SGT posts while 450 SGT posts are vacant in the ZP schools in the district. 

Besides, more than 100 teachers are going to retire next year and the promotion to SGT teachers working in schools is long due. In other words there is every need of more than 1,000 SGT posts in the district but notification issued only for the recruitment of 42 posts, including two in the aided school and the remaining in municipal schools in the district, he explained. 

Sreenivasulu Reddy observed 24-hour fast which ended on Wednesday morning. He said that he along with the teachers’ associations and unemployed teachers will intensify the stir to mount pressure on the government for increasing the number of SGT posts for recruitment to provide succor to the unemployed teachers.   

CPM state secretary P Madhu, who visited the hunger strike camp on Wednesday at RDO office, declared his party support to the stir and demanded the government issue re-notification for all the vacant posts of SGT in the district. 

Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state vice president S Jayachandra, who is leading the agitation, also took part in 24-hour fast along with MLC Sreenivasulu Reddy. He said that the 400 Vidya volunteers are working temporarily for last ten years for a meagre salary of Rs 5000 in Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Kuppam Assembly segment.

A poor tribal Hari Naik’s family borrowed money on high interest for his coaching, but his family is upset at the notification. This reveals the anger and anguish of the aspiring teachers. The TDP government will face serious consequences if it failed to hike the number of SGT posts.