Education Minister warns teachers against strike

MALAPPURAM: Education Minister P K Abdu Rabb said here on Sunday that stringent action will be taken against those teachers in the higher secondary schools who intend to abstain from the conduct of terminal examination scheduled to start on Monday as part of their strike.Talking to mediapersons, the minister said that the strike announced by the teachers in the aided higher secondary schools is unnecessary as the government is working on a solution."We are trying to solve the issue with the pay package of the teachers,” he said.Teachers in the aided higher secondary schools in the Malabar region, which were allotted last year, have announced a strike in protest against non-payment of salaries. The teachers have not been paid salaries since their appointment.The strike is expected to hit the conduct of terminal examination in the aided higher secondary schools affecting about 30,000 students.Alternative SchoolsPutting an end to the woes of the alternative schools in the state, the Education Minister said that 238 alternative schools in the state will be raised to lower primary schools. Talking to mediapersons here, he also said that the salary of the teachers in the alternative schools will be increased accordingly.Alternative schools which cater to the educational needs of the students in remote areas like tribal villages and coastal areas have been in a crisis since the teachers were not paid regularly.