For the past ten days, physical education teachers in Gandhinagar have been protesting, demanding permanent recruitment for their long-pending issues. The agitation began on March 17, and despite completing ten days of strike, the teachers remain firm on their demands.

Today, the protesting teachers attempted to march towards the Gujarat Assembly, but before they could reach Gate No 1, the police intervened and detained them. 

In response to the ongoing protest, the police have increased security in Gandhinagar and are on high alert. However, the teachers have vowed not to leave Gandhinagar until their demands are met.

The government has implemented the ‘Khel Sahayak Yojana’ for physical education teachers in Gujarat, but the protesters have rejected this scheme. They argue that the policy is neither in the interest of the teachers nor the students.

The teachers claim that under this scheme, a student learning sports barely gets proper coaching, and just when they start progressing, their contract-based coach is removed. 

According to the physical education teachers, the scheme does not safeguard their rights. They argue that the leave policies are inconsistent, and there is no clarity on how the 11-month contract period is calculated, especially during vacations.

Moreover, many teachers are terminated verbally without any written notice or official circular before completing their contract period, claimed the protestors.

Key issues raised by the protesting teachers 

–No uniform leave policy for sports assistants across the state.

–Lack of clarity on salary payments after the 11-month contract period.

–Verbal terminations without written notice or official circulars.

–Delayed or missing salaries in some districts, especially in February.

–Unnecessary renewal processes that add to job insecurity.

Demand of teachers

The teachers have submitted multiple appeals to the government but claim that no concrete action has been taken. In response, they organised a rally in Gandhinagar to demand:

–Permanent recruitment of physical education teachers, which has been stalled for 15 years.

–Hiring full-time physical education teachers in primary schools.