Teachers boycott HSC answersheet assessment

Around 1,500 teachers from Aurangabad, who were assigned the task of assessing HSC answer sheets, have sent back the same to the board and have refused to do assessment work as the government has failed to fulfill their demands. The Maharashtra State Permanently Unaided School Action Committee (MSPUSAC) has said that teachers from all over the state will also follow suit for SSC answer paper assessment if the government fails to make any provisions in the upcoming budget to fulfill their demands.

According to Prashant Redij, spokesperson for MSPUSAC, the patience of the teachers all over the state had been stretched to breaking point and the agitation by the teachers at Aurangabad was just the beginning. “Teachers from unaided schools and junior colleges have been struggling to make ends meet and the problem is only getting worse. Teachers from unaided institutions that have been given grant status have also not got their dues. In such a situation they have no option but to resort to such measures,” said Mr Redij, justifying the refusal of teachers from Aurangabad to assess answer sheets of the ongoing HSC exams being conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

Mr Redij further added that while teachers from Aurangabad had started the agitation, the teachers statewide would also have to resort to non-cooperation if the state did not make any provision in the upcoming state budget.

“The government has only given us assurances. Now if the assurances do not translate into concrete measures in the form of allocating funds for paying the teachers from unaided schools in the budget we will be sending back the answer sheets too,” said Mr Redij. He added that MSPUSAC is currently holding an agitation at Azad Maidan that will go on till March 18 when the budget is announced. If the state fails to provide for their rights, the non-cooperation agitation will start immediately.

When asked about the Aurangabad teachers returning answer sheets without assessing them, Gangadhar Mhamane, chairman MSBSHSE said that the board had asked junior colleges in Aurangabad to keep the assessment work going by getting other teachers to do the work. “The board has forwarded the memorandum of the MSPUSAC to the state government. The board will ensure that the results are declared on time,” said Mr Mhamane.