EDUCATION REFORMS: KEJRIWAL’S 8 GUARANTEES FOR PUNJAB TEACHERS

Expressing disappointment about the situation of government schools and teachers in Punjab, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal has assured that his party would provide eight guarantees to the teachers for comprehensive education reforms in Punjab if it forms government in 2022.

Kejriwal also called upon all teachers to join the AAP’s campaign to transform Punjab’s government school education system like Delhi.

The eight guarantees include creating a Delhi-like environment in the education sector in Punjab, regularising outsourcing and contract teachers, implementing a transparent transfer policy, banning non-teaching work from teachers, permanent recruitment on vacant posts, sending teachers abroad for training, bringing in a transparent policy for new promotions and providing cashless medical facilities for teachers and their family members.

Kejriwal, along with AAP Punjab president and MP Bhagwant Mann, interacted with the media of ‘Guru ki Nagri’ on Tuesday. Party’s Punjab affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh and co-in-charge Raghav Chadha were also present.

Recognizing the importance of education and teachers for the development and upliftment of society, Kejriwal promised the first guarantee to create a ‘good environment for education’ in Punjab. “Just as a good atmosphere of education has been created in Delhi, a similar atmosphere would be created in Punjab under which a high standard of education would be provided,” he said.

Through the second guarantee, Kejriwal promised to secure all types of raw, outsourced, and contract teachers. “Most of the teachers in Punjab have been working for only Rs 10,000 per month for the last 18 years,” he said.

Appealing to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Kejriwal said that the two demands of the teachers protesting on the tanks – to fill the vacancies and make the raw teachers permanent – should be immediately accepted.

“If the Channi government does not do so, then during my next visit to Punjab, I will go to the teachers’ dharna and the demands of the teachers will be met on the formation of the AAP government,” he said.

To save the teachers of Punjab from the hassle of transfers, Kejriwal gave the third guarantee to the teachers to change the ‘Teacher Transfer’ policy. “Punjab was forcing a teacher to teach in two schools located at a distance of 200 km. The policy of transfer of teachers in Punjab will be changed on the lines of Delhi,” Delhi CM said.

Through the fourth guarantee, Kejriwal said that non-teaching work would not be done by the teachers.

Through the fifth guarantee, he announced to fill all the vacant posts of the teachers.

The sixth guarantee is on the lines of Delhi teachers sent abroad for training. Kejriwal assured that similarly teachers from Punjab would also be sent.

The seventh guarantee is of timely promotion to teachers. The eighth guarantee assures of providing cashless medical facilities to teachers and their family members.