'22,000 guest teachers on daily wages': Navjot Singh Sidhu joins Delhi teachers' protest

New Delhi: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu joined the sit-in protest of Delhi guest teachers demanding regularisation of their jobs outside Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in Civil Lines on Sunday. Last month, Kejriwal had joined the contractual teachers in Punjab's Mohali, who staged a protest making a similar demand.

The Punjab Congress chief was seen raising slogans along with the protesting teachers.

In the run up to the Punjab polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener has announced a slew of sops for different sections of society, including teachers. Among the assurances are regularising contractual teachers and revamping the education system in the state if voted to power.

Also read | ‘This is a joke’: Manish Sisodia visits Punjab govt schools to ‘expose’ best school claims

Punjab goes to polls in early 2022 and the AAP is not leaving any stone unturned to make a decisive presence in the border state. Hitting out at Kejriwal, Sidhu said the Delhi government was following a contractual model of education. “Delhi Education Model is Contract Model … Delhi Govt has 1031 Schools while only 196 schools have Principals … 45% teacher’s posts are vacant and schools are run by 22,000 Guest Teachers on daily wages with every 15 days renewal of contracts,” Sidhu alleged in a tweet.

"An ounce of performance is worth a pound of preachment, practice what you preach. Delhi School Teachers say they are treated as bonded labour and daily wagers, paid per day, no payment for holidays or weekends, No guarantee of contract, removed without notice!," tagging Kejriwal, Sidhu wrote on Twitter.

Joined Delhi Guest Teachers Protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Ji's residence in Delhi https://t.co/P7IH0fkBKL

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) December 5, 2021

He alleged that AAP volunteers were making money from government funds for development of schools.

The Punjab Congress chief said that there were 12,515 job vacancies for teachers in Delhi in 2015, but in 2021, the number had shot up to 19,907. He said the AAP government had been filing up the vacant posts by hiring guest lecturers. “AAP promised to regularise contractual teachers give equal wages as permanent staff but made it worse by just having guest teachers.

माननीय मुख्यमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal जी आपके वादेनुसार इसमें से आपकी तीसरी गैरेंटी (अतिथि शिक्षकों को पक्का करना) को पूरा होने का इंतज़ार आपकी अपनी दिल्ली के 22000 #GuestTeachers पिछले 7 साल से कर रहें हैं । पहले हम सभी को तो पक्का कर दो पंजाब के बाद में कर लेना@PargatSOfficial https://t.co/qTGUo1eG4T

— All India Guest Teachers Association AIGTA (@AIGTA2011_Delhi) December 2, 2021

Through School Management Committees, so called AAP volunteers earn Rs 5 Lac yearly from Govt funds that earlier were meant for school’s development,” Sidhu's another tweet read.

On December 1, Delhi deputy chief minister and education minister Manish Sisodia visited Punjab government schools for a reality check to "expose" Punjab education minister Pargat Singh’s claim that Punjab had the best schools.

"Furniture are broken and so are the computers. A television has been installed in the name of smart class,” he said. Campaigning for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, he said that if they were given a chance the Punjab government schools would improve like Delhi.

Meanwhile, teachers in Punjab suspend academic activities to press for the implementation of the UGC 7th Pay Commission.

(With inputs from PTI)