KOHIMA, AUGUST 5: The Special Education Teachers of Nagaland (SETAN) staged an agitation today at the Directorate of School Education against the failure of the government to respond to its memorandum submitted earlier on July 12, 2016, against the termination order of 360 Special Education Teachers (SETs) issued by the department.
The special education teachers from all the districts of the State converged at DoSE holding placards some of which read: ‘Why should the innocent teachers be victimized, when someone else made a mistake?,’ ‘Stop playing with our precious life,’ ‘Treat us equally with other teachers,’ ‘We can’t accept step-motherly treatment’ etc.
As per the directive of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, 391 teachers from the State were appointed under the Inclusive Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under RMSA in 2012.
It was learned that the appointed teachers were on a fixed pay of Rs 8500 (and not Rs 23, 230 as prescribed by MHRD), as they do not possess the requisite training and qualification for the said appointed post.
The agitating teachers said the termination order came as a shock since the programme is ongoing adding that there is no reason why they should be terminated. They also said that the scheme is being well implemented successfully in other parts of the country.The teachers alleged that State government has failed to give them trainings as assured at the time of their appointments besides funds have been allocated for the said purpose. It has also alleged misappropriation of funds allocated for learning materials, aids and facilities, which never reached the beneficiaries.
With no initiatives from the government to give any kind of training, the teachers numbering around 80 have undergone three months training in phase wise at Fernando Speech and Hearing Centre, Shillong, at their own expense. It was learned that most of them are awaiting their results at the time of their suspension order.
While citing the difficulty of getting admission in the Centre for the training programme with limited allocation of seats, the teachers alleged that the Mission Project Director have reserved 17 seats at Fernando Speech and Hearing Centre, Shillong, which were allocated to his own candidates for fresh appointments.
The media persons were informed that when the teachers approached the department for the training, excuses were made citing lack of funds, besides others.
Informing the outcome of the closed door meeting held with the officials of the department, Atoka, the Association general secretary said, the officials have assured to take up the matter with the government in revoking their suspension order.
Meanwhile, the Association president, TS Hongwang Konyak, informed that a memorandum would be submitted to the State government on August 8.
The Association in its memorandum submitted earlier on July 16, 2016, had proposed for a wholesome training to be imparted to the untrained SETs and their salary be paid as that of Graduate Teachers as per the guidelines of the Rehabilitation Council of India.
It also demanded that no fresh appointments be made until all the in-service SET are absorbed and streamlined and further extension of all the SETs be given from February 2016 etc.
The Nagaland Education Mission Society, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), through an order dated June 24, 2016, had issued the termination order of all the 360 SET employees under IEDSS programme.
Meanwhile, the Association informed that it would call off the agitation for the time being, however, with a caution that it would resort to phase wise agitation if their demands are not being met and further intend to take the matter to the court too, if necessary.
