Claiming that the environment in the state’s education system has been vitiated during the 18-month Mamata Banerjee government’s tenure, Left Front chairman Biman Bose on Wednesday called upon the teachers to launch a sustained movement. “There has been sharp deterioration in the education sector. There is uncertainty all around. Small children studying in primary schools and their guardians are apprehensive. The present environment is not conducive for good education of children. Such an environment was witnessed in the early 1970s but after the Left Front came to power, it worked hard to improve the education sector,” Mr Bose claimed. He was addressing a rally of primary teachers in the city.
He said that the state government had pushed the future of 75,000 primary teachers in jeopardy by its new education policies. Referring to the new state government policy making it mandatory for teachers appointed in 2001 to obtain a one year training and those appointed in 2006 to get a two-year, he said: “This has left the future of 75,000 primary teachers uncertain. You will not achieve anything without agitation. Do not think that you will get your demands met without agitation. This government wants to snatch the rights of the teachers to agitate and participate in strike. You have to fight to protect your democratic rights.” Mr Bose attac-ked the new policy that the primary students would not be able to take the book home and have to complete the studies only during cla-ss hours. He also alle-ged that both the state government and the Centre were trying to privatise education.