Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Feb 17: Guest teachers working in government primary and high schools in Dakshina Kannada are urging the state government to promptly address their long-standing issue of pending salaries. They have warned that they will resort to extreme measures, including ending their lives, if their demands are not met.

Dayamani K, the chief secretary of the Zilla Prathamika Mattu Praudashala Atthiti Shikshakara Sangha in Dakshina Kannada, expressed the frustrations of guest teachers during a press conference held on Saturday. According to Dayamani, despite serving for several years, guest teachers are still paid a meagre salary of Rs 10,000 per month, with no additional social benefits. She emphasized that the timely payment of salaries is a recurring issue, and salaries often remain unpaid for months. Currently, salaries have been pending for six months, with some teachers on the first list receiving payments only up to October end, while those on the second list have not been paid for the last six months.

Dayamani highlighted the stark contrast between the low wages of guest teachers, who work tirelessly for eight hours a day, including clerical duties, and the higher earnings of blue-collar workers like masons. She emphasized that the current salary of Rs 330 per day is insufficient to meet the basic needs of teachers. Frustrated by the lack of progress in salary payments, Dayamani stated that guest teachers are left with no choice but to consider extreme measures if their demands for increased salaries and timely payments are not met.

The guest teachers have presented a list of demands to the government, including prioritizing teaching experience over merit for permanent recruitment, providing social security, issuing experience letters to all guest teachers, increasing salaries, and ensuring payment for all 12 months instead of just 10. Dayamani believes that meeting these demands will lead to improvements in the quality of education in government schools.