The statewide teachers’ organisation, Shikshak Bhaarti, has announced a ‘school bandh’ on December 5 to draw attention to long-pending concerns affecting educators across Maharashtra. Their primary demand focuses on making the Teachers’ Eligibility Test mandatory for working teachers, following a recent Supreme Court ruling, which they argue has created confusion and hardship. The group is also raising issues related to delays caused by Aadhaar verification during the student census, pending non-salary grants to schools, and the reinstatement of the old pension scheme. The organisation maintains that these concerns require urgent government engagement and policy changes.
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Subhas More, the working president of Shikshak Bhaarti, stated that the group has repeatedly sought discussions with state authorities. He recalled that during their last protest attempt, government officials intervened, leading to the cancellation of the agitation; however, no progress was made on addressing the TET issue. If the demands continue to go unresolved, teachers from more than 100 aided schools in Mumbai alone are expected to join the shutdown. According to More, the protest is ultimately intended to protect students' futures, as policies such as TET requirements and recognition (‘manyata’) hurdles have resulted in teacher shortages and increased administrative pressure on schools, affecting classroom learning.