GURUGRAM: Stepping up their opposition against the CM Haryana Equal Education Relief Assistance and Grant (Cheerag) scheme, government school teachers in Gurugram have decided to launch a united protest to demand its withdrawal.
United under the banner of Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, these teachers have submitted a memorandum to the Haryana chief minister urging him to immediately withdraw the scheme or face stiff opposition.
They have claimed that the scheme will eventually lead to the closure of state-run schools that are struggling with poor student enrollment and teacher count.
“Cheerag scheme is self-defeating and contradictory. On the one hand, the government is setting up Model Sanskriti Schools where students will have to pay fees for their education. On the other hand, it has launched this scheme for government school students to take admissions in private schools at state cost,” said Dushyant Thakran, the district head of the Haryana Prathmik Shikshak Sangh.“These two schemes not only raise questions over the government’s intent but also clearly indicate that it wants to privatise education to a large extent,” he alleged.
Teachers say that instead of reimbursing Rs 700 to Rs 1,100 per student — depending on the class — to the schools voluntarily opting for the scheme, the government should use the same amount to provide books, increase the teacher count, and improve the learning-teaching environment of the government-run schools.
Under the Cheerag scheme, the government has committed to reimburse Rs 700 for classes till 5, Rs 900 for classes 6 to 9, and Rs 11,00 for classes 10 to 12 for the consenting schools.
