By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Teachers of Madrassa Shiksha Kendra and Sishu Siksha Kendra, who had been on a hunger strike since October 1 asking for state recognition and teacher training, ended their agitation on Tuesday after assurances from West Bengal State Municipal and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim.
Firojuddin Mohammed Shafi, Secretary, MSK Staff welfare Association, told Twocircles.net, “Currently, there are 495 MSKs and SSKs as a part of the Sarva Siksha Abhijan. They are paid by the WB Madrassa Directorate. But they are not treated as formal madrassas, so there is a sizeable difference between them and the teachers of madrassas recognised by the State Madrassa Board in terms of salary, teacher training and other facilities.”
Citing the National Council of Technical Education, Shafi said every teacher should be trained. When the state government arranged teacher training for madrassas, the teachers of MSKs were deprived of this as they were not recognised by the state madrassa board, he added.
MSKs and SSKs were first introduced by the Left front government in Muslim areas as part the Sarva Shiksha Abhijan, as an equivalent to Madhyamil Shiksha Kendra.
However, these centres were not recognised, and this is an issue that has remained unchanged under the current Trinamool Congress government. This issue has posed serious issues for the staff, who remain unclear about their future.
Mohammad Anwar Hossai, Vice-President, MSK Staff Welfare Association, said the teacher recruitments had not been approved by the state. As a result, even though they had been working for a long time, the lack of approval meant a number of them might have crossed the age bar as per state norms. As mentioned earlier, the lack of training was also an issue for these teachers.
Not to mention, while a teacher in recognised madrassas get about Rs 18,000 a month, the MSK teachers receive only about Rs 8,000 a month. And as of now, the state government has agreed to talk on all issues except salary, citing the poor financial condition of the state. In a joint conference with MSK members, Firhad Hakim said the Chief Minister was deeply concerned about the matter, and that the state government would ensure recognition for the madrassas. After the recognition, the madrassas can get financial assistance from the central scheme.