Five contractual teachers, working in Sishu Shiksha Kendras and vocational training institutes, attempted suicide by consuming poison in front of Bikash Bhavan, the education secretariat, in Salt Lake on Tuesday afternoon.
Around 50 teachers, including these five, were protesting the education department’s decision to transfer some of them, said an officer of the Bidhannagar police commissionerate
Police rushed the teachers to Bidhannagar Sub-divisional Hospital, from where two were shifted to NRS Hospital and the rest to RG Kar Hospital.
Sishu Shiksha Kendras (SSKs) were opened between 1999 and 2003 by the then Left Front government to offer elementary education till Class VIII to students from marginalised families in rural areas under a central scheme.
A group of teachers has been protesting over the past few months under the banner of Shikshak Aikya Mancha, demanding pay parity with primary school teachers. The protests intensified after 17 teachers were transferred last week to districts, away from their homes. “We suspect the transfer was effected to teach the teachers a lesson. As a mark of protest, five of our colleagues attempted suicide,” said a protester.
An official of the education department said these were routine transfers. “They can approach the court. Instead of seeking a legal remedy, why they thought of taking such a drastic step is not clear,” he said.
Education minister Bratya Basu went to Bikash Bhavan after learning about the incident and held a meeting with officials for several hours. Repeated calls to his number went unanswered.
An officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said they would lodge a case for the attempted suicide.