Schools Across Maharashtra To Remain Shut On Dec. 5 — Here's Why

All schools in Maharashtra are expected to remain closed on Dec. 5 as the teachers’ bodies have called for a statewide strike over multiple issues. The teaching and non-teaching staff of all primary and secondary schools will hold protest marches to the district collector's offices across the state to demand resolution of longstanding issues.

According to a circular from the teachers’ organisations, in Pune, the protest match will commence at the new Zilla Parishad building, culminating in a rally outside the district collector’s office.

The school teachers’ bodies have demanded that the government revoke its order making the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) compulsory for all teaching staff hired prior to 2013. They also seek the annulment of the Government Resolution released on March 15, 2024, concerning staff pattern approvals, urging a restoration of old regulations.

The teachers’ bodies have also sought the discontinuation of the ‘Shikshan Sevak’ contractual system, full implementation of regular pay grades for teaching staff and a halt to the assignment of online and non-teaching duties.

The demands call for an immediate halt to the current recruitment process conducted via the Pavitra Portal, alongside the initiation of hiring for non-teaching staff. Additionally, organisation are pressing for the release of overdue non-salary grants, exemption of schools and educational institutions from property tax, and the introduction of solar power installations in government-aided schools. They have also insisted on full reimbursement of outstanding funds under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

Several organisations, including the Maharashtra State Education Institutions Federation and Shikshak Bhaarti, have declared the strike as a protest against the state's "Sanch Manyata" policy rolled out in March 2024. 

The policy demands collective recognition for aided schools and restricts teacher recruitment in schools with fewer than 20 pupils. Unions warn that these rules threaten to shut down close to 18,000 aided schools and could render 20,000 to 25,000 staff unemployed, disproportionately impacting rural and mountainous areas where schooling choices are scarce.

As per a Hindustan Times report, State Headmasters’ Association secretary Nandkumar Sagar said, "Our demands are not new, they have been pending for years. The government has repeatedly ignored the issues faced by teachers. If this continues, we will intensify our agitation. On Dec. 5, we are calling upon every teacher and non-teaching employee to shut schools and join the statewide march in maximum numbers."