Teachers lead in bunking

BY J.R.PRASAD

Hyderabad, May 2: As many as 36,000 teachers in the state have outdone truant students in “bunking classes”. While students are penalised for being irregular, these teachers are never taken to task and also get their salaries promptly.

All these teachers are holding posts in various unions and make use of the special provisions provided for union leaders to stay away from school. They can avail 22 casual leave for union activities. Apart from this, some unions such as the Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union (PRTU), the State Teachers’ Union (STU) and the United Teachers’ Federation (UTF) are given some more special provisions.

For instance, presidents and general secretaries of these unions need not attend school regularly if they are busy with union activities. There are about 3,40,000 teachers working in state-run schools across and they have 25 recognised and unrecognised teachers’ unions. About 10 per cent of them are holding various posts in all these unions.

“As per the government rules we are allowed to stay away from school for a longer period at a stretch,” said Mr Ravi Kiran, general secretary of the PRTU. “This period can be treated as on duty.”

Even though these flexible provisions are given only to some unions, leaders of other unions are also making use of them.

“Some leaders of teachers’ unions are not doing their work all through the year,” said Mr N. Dhamaneswara Rao, president of Telugu Nadu Teachers Association, a front organisation of the TD.