Gorakhpur: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday asked 'shiksha mitras' (para-teachers) to adopt a positive and constructive approach, emphasising dialogue over confrontation, and shed "trade union-style" methods while pressing their demands.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony organised in their honour in Gorakhpur, Adityanath said that while their concerns were genuine, the approach needed to be constructive.
“For years, you had demands, but instead of allowing them to progress naturally, they were often pursued through confrontation. We must move towards resolution through dialogue,” he said while addressing the 'Siksha Mitra Samman Samaroh.
The event was held to mark the increase in honorarium, from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 per month, of all 1.43 lakh para-teachers working in the primary schools run by the Basic Education Department in the state.
Adityanath criticised previous governments for what he termed as “irregular and unlawful” attempts to grant para-teachers the status of assistant teachers without proper procedures.
“Earlier regimes violated norms and tried to accord recognition without framing the necessary rules. Such arbitrary actions led to the Supreme Court ordering termination of their services,” he said.
Referring to the crisis that followed, he added, “We faced a serious challenge — nearly 1.5 lakh families were at risk of losing their livelihood. Many had served for 18–19 years. At that stage in life, where would they go?”
The CM said his government decided against terminating their services and instead raised their honorarium significantly.
“In 2017, we increased the honorarium from Rs 3,500 to Rs 10,000. Our intention has always been to periodically improve it further,” he said, alleging that some intermediaries had exploited para-teachers in the past.
Emphasising the role of teachers in nation-building, Adityanath said a positive mindset was crucial.
“A teacher associated with education must have a positive outlook. If not, it can cause irreparable damage to society. The future of children entrusted to you by parents depends on your attitude,” he said.
He cautioned against adopting trade union-style methods, saying such approaches could harm society.
“Our nature cannot be that of trade unions. We must work with a constructive spirit. The responsibility of shaping the future of children lies with you,” he added.
"We must stay away from the trade union mentality. It will harm society, as it has caused significant harm in the past. What people say there is that 'our demands must be met, no matter what the compulsion,' meaning that demands must be met at the expense of the country," he said.
"This cannot happen. The country comes first, then we exist. We exist because our country exists. If we cultivate a good generation, good people will be born in every field," he added.
He also highlighted improvements in the state’s education system, particularly in infrastructure and student welfare.
“There was a time when girls could not attend school due to a lack of drinking water, toilets, or security. Today, we are ensuring facilities for all,” Adityanath said.
He noted that around 1.6 crore children are being provided uniforms, school bags, books, shoes, socks and sweaters, benefits that were not consistently available before 2017.
“Every child has the right to education. It is the responsibility of parents, teachers and society to ensure that this right is fulfilled,” he said.
Adityanath warned that school dropouts posed a serious challenge. “When a child leaves school, it is not just a personal loss but a national loss. It weakens society and creates long-term challenges,” he said.
Praising the success of the 'School Chalo Abhiyan', he said more than 20 lakh children had enrolled in the first phase.
“This is a significant number. There are countries in the world with populations smaller than this. We must further increase this number in the next phase starting in July,” he added.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and auto-generated from an agency feed.)
