SURAT, Nov 30: The Sarvajanik Education Society (SES) run school teachers, members of the Surat Shahar Manya Khangi Prathamik Shikshan Sangh (SSMKPSS), went on a day-long dharna outside the collectorate and will continue this till the SES accepts their demands.Teachers from the T and T V School, Nanpura, J C Munshi High School, Middle School, Gopipura, Experimental School, Kadhiwala School and V T Choksi High School - all run by the Society on Monday squatted in front of the collectorate to protest against the Society. According to a release issued by the teachers, their demands were not being met by the SES despite a government resolution to this effect.Siddharth Degami, the president of the association said a meeting had been called by the SSMKPSS in which one teacher each from SES run schools was called on Monday. The sangh demanded that as per the GR, teachers should get revised wages. Degami said Ramesh Oza, the secretary of SES who was also called at the meeting, threatened that the society would shut down the schools than acceding their demands.The SSMKPSS said that the fee hike was not a problem of the teachers but that of the SES. ``That (the fee hike issue) has nothing to do with our demands, which are reasonable and legal,'' Degami said.Commenting on the stance of the SES, office-bearers of the sangh said being a responsible educational body which commands considerable respect and runs reputed educational institutions, the SES ought to be more responsible. Degami wondered as to how could the SES complain of a cash crunch when it was charging Rs 155 per month from students in schools it runs, most of which are higher secondary.The sangh will continue its dharna programme on a daily basis from Tuesday till the pending demands are met and will also hand over a memorandum to the collector on Tuesday.
