Amid a crisis after the Supreme Court verdict to terminate the services of almost 26,000 teachers in state/state-aided schools in West Bengal, para-teachers went on a three-day strike, demanding a hike in their salaries.
According to the State school education department, para-teachers who work in primary schools currently get a salary of Rs 10,000 and those working in upper-primary schools get Rs 13,000. “In March 2024, salaries were increased for all contractual employees of the state government, but our salaries remained the same. We are demanding increases,” said the convenor of “Para-teacher Oikyo Mancha”, Bhagirath Ghosh.
A past state government notification states that the “three major duties” of para-teachers are “(a) Remedial teaching (b) Child tracking (c) Teaching Learning Material (TLM) preparation for activity-based learning in school.”
It said, “During school hours, para-teachers will address first-generation students who are in need of remedial teaching. They will ensure that the students are able to suitably comprehend and follow the lessons so that they would be able to compete with other students in formal classes. The ability of para-teachers will be judged by whether the marginalized students have been able to be mainstreamed with the fellow students according to formal classroom standards.”
It also stated, “Students with learning disadvantages need additional inputs to reach the standards of students of a formal class room. This will be the main activity and purpose of the engagement of para-teachers. Under no circumstances will the para-teacher be permitted to function in lieu of regular teachers. Action will be taken against schools violating this norm as per the extant rules of the department.”
Ghosh said, “Normally, schools used to engage us in all work and never honour any regulations. We will do that work, but the government can at least increase our salaries. We also have families.”
The para-teacher’s organisation went on strike from Monday onwards and plan to end it on Wednesday. Ghosh that if the salaries are not increased, they will go for a “bigger movement”.