Teachers' continuing agitation

As it is, our education system is in a pitiable state but now it looks like it has come to a complete halt. On the one hand, the school premises are under lock and key, and on the other, government colleges have shuttered down. The HSC examinations have had to be differed. We are highly concerned over the state of affairs. This matter of the striking teachers should be resolved without any further loss of time. It could be tied to limitation of funds and other budgetary constraints but the fact remains that the situation has not developed in a day. In fact the ruling party had pledged in its electoral manifesto to nationalise the primary education system. The government has been therefore well aware of the problem all through the past four years and a half and yet nothing happened to improve the teachers' lot. This has created a serious mistrust between the teachers and those who are in the administration. Any promise now being made has little credibility with the striking teachers particularly their leaders. Thus confidence building measures are a dire necessity.

The shutdown of the primary schools affect the future of by far the largest number of our children. Literacy is intertwined with many of our developmental goals. The administration, therefore, cannot and must not sit back and do nothing. The entire nation is anxiously waiting for an early resolution of the severest form of an academic crisis the nation has ever faced.

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