To
The Honourable Chief Minister
Telangana State.

Sir,

I appreciate your integrity and vision of transforming our state as ‘a Bangaru Telangana. I also understand your unwavering commitment to provide free education for the marginalized sections made you think that strengthening the Telangana Gurukula Schools is a solution. As part of it, with your special interest, TSPSC has given notification to employ teachers into Gurukula schools.

Sir, let me tell you, we are not happy as Gurukula teachers. We put our heart and soul to get these jobs. We spent innumerable hours in preparation to get this DREAM JOB. There was Preliminary exam, Mains Exam and Certificate verification. Ufff… we could have competed for Civils instead of going through this complex selection process. Somehow, we could get selected despite our struggles.

Shockingly, on the very first day of our job, we realized that we were deceived. First shocker is Gurukula teacher is not a government employee so we have no benefits of a government employee. Second, we had to write a bond which says that the selected teacher should serve for three years in the Gurukula Society (Especially, Social Welfare).

Otherwise, he/she has to pay a lakh of rupees like in a private firm. Third shocker, we are not actually teachers, but, factually ‘Bonded labours’ (This word has been frequently used by our officers in internal meetings). Because, we have to do House- master duties, Warden duties, deputy warden duties, care taker duties, Night study tutor, Day study tutor and custodian of children’s pocket money and escort duty, kitchen duties, Night stay duty and No Sunday is a holiday, no gov’t holiday is a holiday except Dasaraand Sankranti. Final shocker is that the society sucks our blood if we don’t give good result in the examinations and cut our salaries.

I mention a recent incident that happened in one of the Gurukula societies’ training programme of teachers to give you our working conditions. One of the deputy secretaries threatened when a teacher needed a clarification regarding night stay duties. The irritated deputy secretary said, ‘’Ey, first nuvpanicheskopovaya, naamundhujagrathagamatladu’’. The frightened teacher got humiliated so in front of 400 other teachers by this official. This is a common scenario in every school and residentialsociety. Why should we ill-treated and get attacked our self-esteem? Despite our relentless services, we are not being treated with respect by some officials.

Sir, I apologize before I dare to ask these questions. But, you must answer these questions:

1. Why your government has been boasting so much about Gurukula jobs when it is not a government job? Why did you trap us and made us scape goats?

2. Is it constitutional to hinder the growth of an individual? If not, why we had to deposit our original certificates and a bond worth of one lakh rupees?

3. Can a teacher really perform his best in the class room when he worries about a lot of other non-teaching duties?

4. Why should community wise division be in the Gurukula Schools? There are BC welfare schools, Tribal Welfare Schools, Social Welfare schools, Minority Welfare Schools and general Gurukula Schools? Why shouldn’t all the schools be under education department?

5. Single sex schools are not creating a healthy society. Almost, all Gurukula schools are either boys ‘schools or girls ‘school. Why should gender-wise division be there in schools?

6. In tribal welfare residential society and Social welfare society, the candidates have been directly given the posting orders without any counselling. What is the use of being a merit candidate?

7. There is night- stay duties in Social and Tribal welfare schools to protect the children, but, if we stay out of our home in the night, who will protect our own families? You made as watch-men.

8. Practical things are bitter. The real situations are not so ideal as it has been projected.
There were incidents where teachers had been attacked by the undisciplined students during night-stays. Should we sacrifice our lives as well?

There are a lot to ask. But, sir, to be frank, none of us are happy being a Gurukula teacher. This is not the anguish of an individual alone but that of the majority of newly recruited Gurukula teachers.
We sincerely and genuinely wish to be a part of making bangaru Telangana a reality, but, we are not able to give our best in the class rooms. We have been going through a mental trauma ever since we have joined in our schools. We are recruited as teachers, allow us to teach. If we are occupied with the hell of other non-teaching duties, we may not be able to concentrate on building our capacity.

Our teaching potential has been diminishing due to the unbreathable pressure of working. We have come with a lot of passion and energy to teach. Please, encourage us to keep it alive. We never expected that we would do clerical jobs, watch men and warden duties.
Teaching is a creative job and a consistent knowledge earning process. On contrary, we don’t even have time to learn anything new and our creative potential is being killed. This is a dangerous game with an entire generation and future society. Bangaru Telangana can never be achieved unless you take a step to solve our problems.

Sir, all that we are requesting you is let us remain teachers, not robots. We believe you understand.

From

A Frustrated- newly appointed Gurukula teacher
Telangana State

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