By Express News Service

KOTTAYAM: Tightening the Church’s stance against the state government on education policy issues, the Kerala Catholic Teachers’ Guild will organise its state meet and minority education rights protection convention in Changanassery on Saturday. Addressing media persons, the guild office bearers and Changanassery archdiocese corporate educational authorities said around 3,000 teachers from 32 dioceses across the state will participate in the programme.

According to them, the convention is being organised as part of the commencement of a series of protests against the government raising various demands, including withdrawal of amendments brought in the Kerala Education Rules (KER), acknowledge the recruitment of teachers, resolve the issues in the Higher Education sector, and implement the Supreme Court order on broken service.

“KER amendments and new policies of state government in the education sector have put the functioning of the state’s aided college sector, especially minority educational institutions, in jeopardy,” they said.

They added representatives of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) and guild had held discussions with the Chief Minister and the Education Minister in connection with these demands. According to them, they were forced to move on to protests as they did not receive a positive response. A declaration rally will be organised in Changanassery on Friday, which will commence from SB Higher Secondary School at 3.30 pm.

Rights protection rally will be held at 9 am on Saturday. Teachers’ Guild state meet and minority education rights protection convention will be inaugurated by former inter-church council chairman Mar Joseph Powathil, former metropolitan of Changanassery. Teachers’ guild state president Salu Pathalil will preside over the function. Major Arch Bishop Mar Baselios Cleemis will deliver the keynote address on the occasion.Changanassery archdiocese corporate educational asst manager Fr Mathew Varuvelil, Teachers’ Guild state treasurer Jose Antony and other dignitaries participated in the press conference.

The demands

Withdrawing amendments brought in the Kerala Education Rules, acknowledging the recruitment of teachers, resolving issues in the Higher Education sector, and implementing the Supreme Court order on broken service are the demands the Kerala Catholic Teachers’ Guild will raise in a series of protests it has planned. A convention on Saturday will kick-start the protests.