Plight of Punjab schools, teachers a misfortune: Kejriwal

Amritsar, Nov 23 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party National Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday termed the plight of government schools and teachers in Punjab as a misfortune.

Kejriwal gave eight guarantees to teachers for comprehensive education reforms in Punjab and promised that these guarantees would be implemented on priority if the AAP government is formed in 2022.

He also called upon all teachers to join the AAP's campaign to transform the state'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 contractual teachers, implementing a transparent transfer policy, banning non-teaching work by teachers and permanent recruitment on vacant posts.

Kejriwal along with AAP state president Bhagwant Mann was interacting with the media here. The party's Punjab in-charge Jarnail Singh and co in-charge Raghav Chadha were also present on the occasion.

Recognising the importance of education and teachers for the development and uplift of society, the Delhi Chief Minister gave the first guarantee to create a 'good environment for education' in the state.

He said just as a good atmosphere in education has been created in Delhi, a similar atmosphere would be created in Punjab under which a high standard of education would be provided.

Through the second guarantee, Kejriwal promised to secure all types of raw, outsourced and contract teachers. He said most of the teachers in Punjab have been working for only Rs 10,000 per month for the last 18 years, which is a joke and unjust for a teacher.

Appealing to his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Singh Channi, Kejriwal said the two demands of the protesting teachers -- to fill the vacancies and make the contractual 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, he gave a third guarantee to change the teachers transfer policy. He said 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. With full transparency, the policy of teachers based on their own choice and posting near home will be implemented.