Hyderabad: The Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) and Gurukula Joint Action Committee (JAC) said they hold a series of protests, culminating in a rally in Hyderabad on September 28, to press for resolution of issues affecting schools, which are currently functioning under six societies, encompassing five government departments.The state has 1,022 gurukula schools catering to approximately six lakh students from Grade 5 to postgraduate courses, with around 30,000 teachers.Teachers and staff working in these schools, many of which operate out of rented buildings without proper staff quarters, said their demands have not been met for years. A key grievance is the outdated mess charges and inadequate facilities, such as missing dual desks and dormitories.As teacher, Rahul Nenavath, told Deccan Chronicle, “We have been teaching in difficult conditions for years, but the government’s lack of action has left us with no choice but to protest.”The teachers are also opposing the government’s decision to extend teaching hours to 4.30 pm, under GO Ms No. 16, which many educators feel is unscientific and burdensome. This decision has sparked widespread dissatisfaction. Another teacher, Aparanjini S., said, “This new schedule is impractical and has created discontent among everyone involved.”The protests will be carried out in phases, beginning with lunch-hour demonstrations in schools on September 18 and 19, followed by the submission of memorandums to district collectors and MLAs on September 22 and 23, ahead of the rally in Hyderabad on September 28.TSUTF president K. Jangaiah and Gurukula JAC president Mamidi Narayana jointly urged the government to address the 24 demands put forth by the teachers, including the resolution of infrastructural deficiencies and the extension of the same benefits enjoyed by other government employees to gurukul staff. They stressed that the protests would continue until the government took meaningful steps to resolve their concerns.
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