Agartala witnessed the 7th triennial state conference of the Tripura Government Teachers’ Association (TGTA) at the Agartala Town Hall on November 25. During the first session of the conference, the leader of the teachers’ body criticized the BJP-led coalition government for what they perceive as insufficient budget allocation for the education sector this year.
Expressing concerns, the leader stated that the implementation of the New Education Policy in the state is hindered by the reduced budgetary allocation. Traditionally, the education sector received 18-20% of the state’s total budget, but the current government, which is emphasizing the implementation of the New Education Policy, has allocated less than 18% for the sector.
The leader emphasized the pressing need for recruiting an adequate number of teachers and professors to effectively implement the New Education Policy in Tripura. However, he pointed out that, over the past six years, only 80 professors have been recruited by the current government. This shortfall in staffing is occurring at a time when the education sector is grappling with a crisis of teachers and professors in colleges.
Further criticism was directed at the government over the perceived privatization of the education sector through the implementation of the New Education Policy. Additionally, the leader expressed dissatisfaction with the new pension scheme, making it a focal point of the 7th triennial conference. The conference is centered around two distinct slogans – the right to education and the right to the old pension scheme in the education sector.
The conference is scheduled to span two days, featuring the participation of 660 teacher delegates from 32 subdivisions of the state. The deliberations will likely shed light on the concerns and demands of the teaching community in Tripura, particularly regarding budget allocation, recruitment, and education policy implementation.
