[Onthebarricades] Education protests, Aug-Sept 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* SOUTH AFRICA: School students target stadium in Nelspruit
* TRINIDAD: Protests over conditions at three schools
* SOMALIA: School strike over insecurity
* TANZANIA: Teachers hold pay march
* MANIPUR: Teachers, students protest extortion
* INDIA: Teacher protests - newsclippings
* TAIWAN: Teachers stage protests against commissioner
* US: Chicago - school boycott over funding disparities
* US: Twin Rivers - protest at schedule change
* US: California - protests over cuts
* PHILIPPINES: University staff march over pay rise
* US: Dallas - teachers protest cuts
* AUSTRALIA: Protest over nursing degrees
* US: Florida - teachers demand contract
* AUSTRALIA: NSW teachers strike
* US: Atlanta - school bus cuts protested at meeting
* ISRAEL: School students protest agreement breaches
* AUSTRALIA: NT teachers protest strike ban






http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2401425,00.html

11 pupils to appear for riots
2008-09-29 19:11
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• Pupils still in custody
• Kids torch school in protest
Thabisile Khoza
Nelspruit - Eleven pupils arrested following riots at the R1bn 2010 
Soccer World Cup stadium in Nelspruit last week are scheduled to appear 
in court again on October 6.
They were not asked to plead to charges of malicious damage to property 
and arson when they appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court last 
Thursday.
Those aged 18 and older were released on warning, while the minors were 
released into their parents' care.
Five pupils from Cyril Clark high school at Mataffin implicated in 
setting alight a temporary library and two temporary classrooms in 
protest against having to leave their old school, which will be 
demolished to make way for a 2010 stadium parking lot, were charged with 
arson.
Police also arrested six other pupils on charges of malicious damage to 
property after locks on a gate to the stadium construction site were 
damaged on Monday.
Police used teargas when hundreds of schoolchildren toyi-toyied outside 
the stadium last week.
The firebombed buildings are part of a new temporary prefabricated 
school built to accommodate pupils from the Cyril Clark high and John 
Mdluli primary schools.
The pupils complain that their old schools were solidly built brick 
buildings, while the prefab structure was a flimsy 'Zozo' building 
without ventilation or protection against the Lowveld region's heat and 
humidity.
They expect their pass rates to drop significantly this year because of 
the disruptions caused by the stadium.
Mpumalanga education spokesperson Kagiso Phatlane said the schools 
closed for the holidays on Friday and that the break would be used to 
address concerns.
"We hope to use this period to iron out all issues at hand and ensure 
that by the time schools reopen there's a practical solution," said 
Phatlane.
Provincial leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) Anthony Benadie said 
that politicking around the stadium had been put ahead of the children's 
education.
"Two years after the two schools were moved to prefabricated classrooms 
to make way for the stadium, the department of education has not even 
employed a building contractor to start on the new schools," he said.
- African Eye






http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161367097

Lengua school pupils, parents gear up for protest
Nikita Braxton South Bureau

Friday, August 22nd 2008

When the new school term starts in the next two weeks pupils at the 
Lengua Presbyterian School might be sharing new slogans on placards 
instead of swapping vacation stories.
President of the school's Parent Teachers' Association Saudia Mohammed 
said on Wednesday there has been no improvement in school accommodation, 
even after several protests, including one after the Secondary 
Assessment Examination last term.
"Nothing has been done," she said, adding that they were yet to hear 
from the Presbyterian Board from whom they have been waiting for answers 
on the status of a new school building.
For more than two years, the school has been convened in an annex of the 
nearby Inverness Presbyterian School, which Mohammed said consisted of 
three ten-by-ten-foot classrooms which the 78 pupils have had to share. 
The pupils previously evacuated the old Lengua Presbyterian school - a 
63-year-old building that was condemned by the Ministry of Health.
Mohammed said a meeting would be held in the first week of the school's 
reopening and they would decide their next stage of action.
Windy Partap of the President of the Presbyterian Board of Education, 
told the Express a meeting would be held to discuss the problem, after 
which a formal response would be made.





http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161371349

Parents protest over conditions at Lopinot school
Wednesday, September 3rd 2008

The new school term was officially opened yesterday, but many parents 
planned on keeping their children home to protest what they call 
deteriorating conditions at the schools.
Cindy Salina, along with several other parents and pupils of the La 
Veronica Roman Catholic School in Lopinot, Arouca, staged an early 
morning protest in front of the building yesterday, calling on the 
relevant authorities to fix the school.
Salina, the mother of three boys who attend the school, said parents 
were not going to allow their children to go to a school where pupils 
were "susceptible to drinking urine water" because of faulty pipelines. 
She added that urine was backing up into the water mains because the 
septic system was in disrepair.
Salina said the walls of the 62-year-old school, which houses 96 
students, were cracked; there was a hole in the first floor of the 
building after a girl's leg went through it in June; the main gate was 
being held together by nylon cords; and the poorly-constructed guttering 
and drainage created the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
"To make things worst, they always asking us to pay $20 for photocopies, 
but the photocopy machine not working because the electrical wiring is a 
mess," she added.
When the Express contacted the school's principal, Brenda Salina, she 
said they tried to contact the ministry and the district school's 
supervisor to discuss the situation, but was unable to reach anyone.
Chairman of the Catholic Education Board of Management, Hazel Reese, 
meanwhile, said she was not aware of the school's condition and was 
unable to respond.
Media communications specialist at the Ministry of Education, Rory 
Subiah, said he would investigate the matter, but added that the 
Educational Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL) was in charge of school repairs.






http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,85535.html

Students attend protests, not classes
By FELICIA RAMPERSAD Wednesday, September 3 2008
click on pic to zoom in

MY NUMBER IS: These two students from San Fernando Boys RC school check 
the features of a cellular phone prior to the start of classes as the 
new scho...
Rather than starting classes, scores of students in south Trinidad began 
the new school year protesting with their parents for better conditions 
to study and learn.
Protests took place at Elswick Presbyterian and Poole River Presbyterian 
primary schools because no repairs had been done on either school during 
the vacation. Parents said Elswick was earmarked for repairs three years 
ago, and their children have been attending classes on shift at Poole 
River.

However, Poole River was also supposed to undergo repairs during the 
July/August holidays. A dispute between the Ministry of Education and 
the Presbyterian Primary School Board over an interim agreement on the 
management of Presbyterian schools continues to drag on. The ministry 
has remained adamant that the board must sign the agreement before it 
can authorise repairs at the Presbyterian schools. In the meantime, 
students continue to pay the price.

Elswick PTA official Nichelle Sookdeo said when parents took their 
children to Poole River that school was covered in dust.

“The ministry is holding the children to ransom. When the parents 
reached this morning all the Poole and Elswick parents protested. And we 
locked the teachers out.”

Sookdeo said parents of the children from both schools plan to keep 
their children home for the rest of the week. “We decided that we are 
not going to send the children to school until something is being done. 
If by the end of this week no work is done, we are prepared to take the 
protests up to Port-of-Spain,” she declared. They had previously 
protested in the capital during the last term. the two Presbyterian 
schools were not the only ones that did not open.

When parents, guardians and students showed up at the Siparia Girls’ RC 
School they found they had been locked out. One disgruntled man said he 
went to drop off his nephew but the school’s gates were locked.

“Nobody was telling us anything but eventually the principal said the 
school would not be open for a month or two. The school is in a 
dilapidated condition. Even the teachers were protesting,” he said. He 
said parents were wondering what to do with their children.

“We cannot keep the kids home so long. A lot of parents trying to 
organise transfers but even so, something needs to be done,” he said.

Students of forms one and two at San Fernando Government Secondary 
School were also turned away yesterday because accommodation for them 
was not ready. A block at the school was destroyed by fire last term and 
the installation of prefabricated classrooms had not been completed.

“We have no space for the students and until then, the students would 
have to stay home,” said a school source. No deadline was given as to 
when the students can begin classes.

But at San Fernando Boys’ and St Gabriel’s RC schools, all was well.

“All except the first year students came out today but they would be out 
tomorrow at both schools. We had orientation for them on Friday so when 
they come tomorrow they would know where their classes are and who are 
their teachers.”

Even the police ensured the new school term started on the right foot 
when they directed traffic along the Harris Promenade, San Fernando and 
even helped the little ones cross the road.







http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=80151

SOMALIA: Schools close in protest over insecurity

Photo: Ahmed Yusuf Mohamed/IRIN

Schools have closed in protest against the continuing violence in Mogadishu
NAIROBI, 3 September 2008 (IRIN) - A three-day protest against 
insecurity and attacks targeting educational institutions in Mogadishu 
has shut down most schools and left thousands of children out of class, 
locals said.

"Almost 90 percent of primary and secondary schools in Mogadishu are 
participating in the strike," said Abdulkadir Omar Roble, spokesman for 
the Education Fraternity, an umbrella organisation of education networks 
in the city, which organised the protest.

Deliberate attacks and targeting of schools were the main reasons for 
the strike, Roble told IRIN on 3 September. "In this year alone, six 
schools have been attacked, resulting in injuries to six students and 
two teachers," he said.

Many schools in the city are totally destroyed and many students are no 
longer going to school. "We are losing a lot of children from classes 
because parents no longer feel their children will be safe," he added.

A local civil society activist told IRIN the education system in the 
capital was "almost broke".

"For some strange reason they seem to relish targeting schools," he 
said, adding that this trend had forced many educators to close their 
schools and send the children home. "In the last two years, at least two 
dozen schools have either been destroyed or closed due to the insecurity."

Roble accused government forces of attacking two schools last week, Imam 
Shaafi and SYL. "Five students and two teachers were injured in the 
attacks," he said.

"These attacks are badly undermining an already weak education sector," 
said the civil society activist. "Many in the education sector have 
worked hard over the last 18 years to restore education, but that is 
being undermined by the volatile situation."

Abdi Haji Gobdon, the government spokesman, told IRIN the government did 
not condone "entering or attacking" educational institutions.

"The government is very concerned about these incidents and will do 
everything in its power to deal very harshly with the perpetrators," he 
said.

After the collapse of Somalia's central government in 1991, schools and 
universities were destroyed as the city was torn apart by militia. But 
private schools have been gradually re-established over the past few years.

"In the past 18 years we have not experienced these kinds of attacks on 
schools," said Roble.

Organisers of the school strike said they wanted to show the public and 
the government that “these targeted attacks must stop". They appealed to 
the government to deal with the attackers and called on the opposition 
to cease mounting attacks on government positions near schools.

Roble urged the international community to support his group "and 
provide both moral and material support at this critical time".






http://allafrica.com/stories/200809160163.html

The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Tanzania: Teachers Stage Pay Protest
15 September 2008

Over 200 primary school teachers from Kinondoni municipality marched to 
offices of the regional education officer yesterday to demand delayed 
salaries and allowances.
They claimed that they had not received the payments since they reported 
to their duty stations.
The move comes after the teachers went to their employer, the Kinondoni 
Municipal Council, to press for the payments only to be told that they 
were not employees of the municipality.
The teachers said they were shocked by the answer while already the 
municipality had in July paid them their salaries without allowances 
which has disowned them as teachers of the municipality. They told The 
Citizen that they were saddened to be told so while they had letters of 
contracts with the municipality.
"I fail to understand when we are told we are not employees of the 
municipality while we have contracts with it. If they knew we were not 
employees why did they pay us the July salaries?" wondered Ms Rehema Macha.
She added that the municipality refused to recognize them only after 
they demanded their August salaries and allowances.
Reached for comment, the Dar es Salaam regional education officer, Mr 
Makali Bernard, said he was not involved with the issue and his 
authority ended after he assigned them to new duty stations.
"I am surprised to hear that the municipality does not recognize them as 
its servants. My duty is only to assign them to their duty stations as 
directed by the ministry. This is the issue of the director of the 
municipality who is their employer," he said.
The Kinondoni municipal director, Mr Noel Mahyenga, yesterday refused to 
recognize the teachers. He asked them to go back to the regional 
authorities to check out where they would fit because his municipality 
had no shortage of teachers. Asked why they were paid their July 
salaries, the director said they were wrongly paid.
He would therefore talk with the ministry to see how the money would be 
deducted from their salaries in case they were employed elsewhere, he 
said, adding:
"That they received July salaries and have employment contracts is not a 
justification. I do not have the money for their salaries in my budget.
"If they were told to report at Kinondoni, that was wrongfully done. I 
do not recognize them as I have enough teachers."
The teachers complained of facing difficult times as they had finished 
their July salaries and continued to teach in various Kinondoni schools.
They have already consulted a lawyer with the teachers association, CWT, 
Mr Leonard Haule, who has promised to go to the municipality to 
establish the truth.
On his part, the CWT president, Mr Gratian Mkoba, said the situation 
further justified their planned strike action on October 15. He said 
they were fed up with mistreatment by the Government.







http://www.newkerala.com/topstory-fullnews-17347.html

Manipur students', faculty stage protests against militant extortion
Imphal, Sep 1 : The faculty and students
of the Institute of Cooperative Management recently staged a sit-in 
protest against the huge monetary demands of some underground groups in 
the state.
"I and also the people of Manipur do not agree with these anti-social 
activities. Everyone hates this culture of fear that has gripped the 
state. I would like to appeal to the militants to stop such activities," 
said Kh. Pranjit Singh, a student.

Brojendra, another student added, "Militant activities taking place in 
Manipur are not good. They are ruining the student's career and time is 
being wasted. We are not able to pick up the required skills. I feel 
this is not good."

The institute has been a pioneer in providing services and empowering 
thousands of women and students through self-help groups formation, 
management training, computer and IT training not only from Manipur, but 
from other northeastern states as well.

The threats from militants to the institute have affected the staff and 
officials who are thinking of closing down the institute. This would be 
a great loss for the state.

"If such demands and threats keep on happening, one day we may have to 
close the institute. That is a very big loss for Manipur because this 
institute caters to the training needs of not only Manipur, but 
Nagaland, Mizoram, other northeastern states. They are ready to take it 
back if the situation is not cordial here. They'll call us out there. So 
who is the loser? The people of Manipur are the losers," said Mamta 
Rajkumari, a staff of the institute.

This is not the first time the institute has been plagued by such 
demands. There have been instances when several militant outfits have 
issued threats to the institute.

"If this demand is not withdrawn from our institute, we will suffer. We 
cannot give any amount because we have no other means," said KH. 
Borkeshwor Singh, Chairman, NCUI.

What is worrying the people is that if such militant activities continue 
then no new institutes will come up. On the other hand, Meghalaya is 
setting an example for other northeastern states by hosting NIFT, IIM 
and several other prestigious institutes.
--- ANI





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/06/stories/2008090658910300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Protests mark Teacher’s Day
Staff Reporter
APUTF members seek settlement of long-pending demands
________________________________________
Activists condemn police lathi-charge on teachers in Hyderabad
Plea to ensure quality education in State-run schools
________________________________________
PHOTO: RAJU V.

Up in arms: APUTF activists staging a protest in Vijayawada on Friday. —
VIJAYAWADA: The Teacher’s Day celebrations organised by the Vijayawada 
Municipal Corporation (VMC) at Tummalapallivari Kshetrayya Kalakshetram 
on Friday saw protests by members of the Andhra Pradesh United Teachers’ 
Federation (APUTF) outside the auditorium premises.
The APUTF activists registered their protest against the alleged 
lathi-charge by the police on the agitating teachers in Hyderabad on 
Thursday, during which MLCs Chukka Ramaiah, K. Nageswar, K.S. Lakshmana 
Rao and other leaders were arrested. Wearing black badges and holding 
placards, the members of the APUTF raised slogans demanding solution to 
their long-pending demands, including implementation of unified service 
rules.
Legal tangles
Lagadapati Rajagopal, MP, the chief guest of the function, said at the 
meeting that the issue of implementation of unified service rules was 
intertwined with several other legal complications and Constitutional 
objections. “Though I welcome the demand for unified service rules, the 
government will have to implement zonal system to implement this demand, 
which is against the provisions of GO 610,” he said.
Mr. Rajagopal felt the need for providing adequate infrastructure and 
improving facilities in government-run schools.
“We are involving service organisations like the Rotary and the Lions 
clubs to improve facilities in government-run schools. The Lanco group 
too is encouraging meritorious students by giving them scholarships and 
providing infrastructure to schools,” he said.
Mr. Lakshmana Rao, MLC, observed that several changes had taken place in 
the education system in the last two decades.
“Particularly, after the advent of privatisation, several private and 
corporate schools have come up in urban areas. The government should 
take extra care to ensure that the poor students too get quality 
education in government-run schools. For this, there is a need to 
improve infrastructure and facilities,” he said.
Pat for teachers
Mayor Mallika Begum said she was happy to note that the VMC schools had 
registered a pass percentage of 85 in SSC Telugu medium and 92 in 
English medium. “Undoubtedly, the entire credit goes to teachers working 
in the schools. I request them to continue the same spirit this year too 
and break last year’s record,” she said.
Municipal Commissioner P.S. Pradyumna called upon teachers to fix a 
target of achieving 100 per cent result this year. Deputy Mayor S. 
Narasaraju, floor leaders of the Congress, the CPI and the CPI (M) K. 
Ambedkar, P. Gowtham Reddy and Ch. Babu Rao, respectively, senior 
journalist Turlapaty Kutumba Rao and others were present. Cultural 
performances of schoolchildren enthralled the audience.
(Sept 6)





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/09/stories/2008090954400400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

MLCs stage protest
Special Correspondent
— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Seeking action: Puttanna, Marithibbe Gowda and Y.A. Narayanaswamy, MLCs, 
staging a protest in Bangalore on Monday.
BANGALORE: Puttanna, Marithibbe Gowda and Y.A. Narayanaswamy, MLCs, on 
Monday staged a protest in front of the office of Minister for Primary 
and Secondary Education Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri at the Vidhana Soudha 
demanding that the Government fulfil 39 demands of primary, secondary 
and pre-university college teachers and students.
‘Convene meet’
They urged the Minister to immediately convene a meeting of officials of 
Primary Education, Higher Education, Social Welfare, Law, and Finance 
departments to discuss the problems of teachers, pre-university 
lecturers and students, and mattes related to distribution of textbooks, 
infrastructure and uniforms. Mr. Kageri was not in the office when they 
staged the dharna, which was lasted for about 30 minutes.
Some of their major demands are regularisation of services of job 
oriented course (JOC) teachers, who have completed 10 years of service, 
removal of pay disparity between high school and PU teachers, payment of 
salary on the first of every month to all government and aided teachers, 
extension of midday meal scheme to unaided schools, distribution of free 
textbooks and bicycles to students of unaided schools, grant of aid to 
all those schools that opened between 1992-93 and 2000-01, medical 
facility to all teaching and non-teaching staff of aided and unaided 
schools and colleges.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Puttanna said they would launch a 
State-wide protest by the end of the month if the Government did not 
respond to their demands.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091053790400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Teachers’ protest on September 24
MADURAI: The All India Federation of University and College Teachers 
Organisations (AIFUCTO) will hold nationwide protests on September 24 
condemning the failure of UGC Pay Review Committee to submit its 
recommendations to the Centre on time.
In Tamil Nadu, dharnas will be held in front of the 69 government 
colleges and 163 aided colleges, a press release from the Joint Action 
Council of College Teachers Association stated.
S. Vivekanandan, general secretary of the Madurai Kamaraj-Manonmaniam 
Sundaranar-Mother Teresa-Alagappa University Teachers’ Association, said 
that the Chadha Committee was mandated to submit its report to the 
Centre by September 6.
— Special Correspondent






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/26/stories/2008092650900300.htm

Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad

Teachers stage protest
Staff Correspondent
________________________________________
It is in response to
a nationwide call
________________________________________
HUBLI: Members of the Karnatak University College Teachers Association 
(KUCTA) staged a protest here against the delay in the submission of the 
UGC Pay Commission report.
According to a release issued here by Zonal Secretary of the All India 
Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) 
Lingaraj Angadi, in response to a nationwide call, teachers of various 
colleges in the district attended work wearing black badges on Wednesday.
Prof. Angadi has said that the Union Government appointed UGC Pay 
Commission, headed by G.K. Chaddha in September 2006, and had given a 
year’s time to the commission to submit its report.
The commission members had visited several States collecting opinions of 
vice-chancellors, teachers’ representatives and educational experts. 
However, the commission had not yet submitted its report, he has said.
Prof. Angadi said that although the national federation had been 
pressuring the Union Government, the Pay Commission had failed to submit 
the report.










http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/14/stories/2008091457580200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Faculty members to join protest on September 24
Special Correspondent
Against delay in submission of Chadda Committee report
MADURAI: The Madurai Kamaraj University Faculty Association (MUFA) has 
decided to join the nationwide protest on September 24 called against 
the delay in submission of Prof. Chadda Committee report on pay scale 
review for university and college teachers. A demonstration will be 
staged on the Madurai Kamaraj University campus.
In a release here, S. Krishnaswamy, MUFA general secretary, said the 
decision was taken at the general body meeting on September 10. The 
nationwide protest was announced by the All India Federation of 
University and College Teachers Organisation.
The association has urged the University Grants Commission Pay Review 
Committee to submit its report by October 5.








http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080906/punjab1.htm

Protest mars Teacher’s Day function
Tribune News Service
Mohali, September 5
 From next year, the government will earmark special funds for upgrading 
infrastructure in government schools, especially in rural areas.
The dedicated funds will also be used to promote science education, said 
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal while presiding over a state-level 
function organised by the Punjab Education Department Board to celebrate 
Teacher’s Day here today.
As the SAD president was addressing the function, hundreds of teachers 
of aided schools protested outside the venue. Criticising the Akali 
government for allegedly going back on its word, members of the Punjab 
State-Aided Schools Teachers Union demanded restoration of the pension 
scheme, withdrawal of cases registered against Moga teachers in 
December, 2006, and the removal of ban on recruitment.
Unmindful of the protest, Sukhbir said it was a tragedy that education 
was never a priority. It is the education that takes a nation ahead. “A 
Central university was being set up at Bathinda at a cost of Rs 3,000 
crore and the foundation stone of Guru Granth Sahib University had 
already been laid. A branch of the prestigious Indian School of Business 
was being set up at Mohali”, he added.
Education minister Upinderjit Kaur said there was a need to revitalise 
cultural roots in students. With this in mind, the use of Punjabi 
language in schools, educational institutions and government offices was 
being made mandatory. Two Bills to enforce the use of Punjabi language 
were being introduced during the ongoing session of the Vidhan Sabha. It 
had also been decided that Punjabi language would be taught from Class I 
to X in all schools, irrespective of the board to which the respective 
school was affiliated.
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, wife of Sukhbir, said every teacher should adopt 
the “Save girl child, save environment” campaign. “The teachers can be 
the role model for the younger generation. Educating girl child should 
be the motto”, she added.
The teachers honoured on the occasion were: Secondary education: Sangita 
(Faridkot), Dr Satinder Singh (Ferozepur), Gurmeet Singh (Mohali), 
Joginder Kaur (Amritsar), Harjit Sigh Bagri (Ludhiana), Karnail Singh 
(Mansa), Ranapreet Kaur (Fategarh Sahib), Dr Kuldeep Singh (Mansa), 
Bhupinder Kaur (Sangrur), Man Singh (Amritsar); elementary education: 
Amarjit Singh (Taran Taran), Amarjit Kaur Bhatti (Amritsar), Gurpreet 
Singh (Amritsar), Sarabjeet Singh (Tarn Taran), Varinderjit Kaur (Mansa) 
and Balram (Ludhiana).







http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/19/stories/2008091953690300.htm

Kerala

Private school teachers’ protest
Staff Reporter
MALAPPURAM: The Private School Teachers Association (PSTA) has 
threatened not to cooperate with the government decision to make 
teachers conduct classes in front of the parents on September 25.
The government has asked the teachers to convene parent-teacher meetings 
at class-level and hold classes in front of the parents.
They described the decision as a grandiose but unsuccessful plan. They 
warned that the move would precipitate a crisis in the education sector.





http://story.indiagazette.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/701ee96610c884a6/id/406249/cs/1/

Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi delayed by protest
India Gazette
Sunday 14th September, 2008
(IANS)
The Swaran Shatabdi express that runs between Amritsar and New Delhi was 
held up near here Sunday for nearly one hour after protesting computer 
teachers from Punjab blocked the railway tracks.

The computer teachers sat in protest on the railway tracks at the 
Jalandhar Cantonment railway station. The train had to be stopped by the 
railway officials much before the spot where the protest was being held.

The train later resumed its journey after the protesters moved out.

Punjab computer teachers association president Gurwinder Singh said they 
had to resort to the protest as the Akali Dal government in Punjab had 
failed to fulfil its election promise to regularise their posts.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/03/stories/2008090351610500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam

Protest against delay in payment of monthly salary
Special Correspondent
Strike by guest lecturers affects functioning of Government Arts College
— Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

Voicing their woes: Guest lecturers staging a demonstration at the 
Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday.
Udhagamandalam: The guest lecturers of the Government Arts College here 
observed a strike on Tuesday, affecting the functioning of the college.
Demonstration
The strike was led by G.Thirugnanasambandham the Nilgiris district 
secretary of the Guest Lecturers Association. They also staged a 
demonstration in front of the college.
According to Mr.Thirugnanasambandham the strike was to protest against 
the delay in disbursing their monthly salary.
He said that they were yet to receive their wages for the last three 
months.
He added that they were not given priority in appointments,
Though an assurance regarding regularisation of jobs had reportedly been 
made by a senior official a few months ago it was yet to be fulfilled, 
he said. Many of them had put in between five and ten years of service.
Poll promise
Claiming that they were in the dark as to which category the government 
had classified them, he said that regularisation of their jobs was one 
of the poll promises of the Karunanidhi government.
Mr.Thirugnanasambandham questioned the wisdom of re-appointing retired 
lecturers when many guest lecturers were waiting for permanent jobs. He 
said that the agitation will continue till the government responds 
suitably. The strength of the guest lecturers in the Government Arts 
College is about 70.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/25/stories/2008092560760400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Pay review panel report: teachers protest delay
HYDERABAD: Members of the AP Federation of College Teachers’ 
Associations (FCTA) on Wednesday observed ‘protest day’ expressing 
resentment against ‘inordinate’ delay in submission of the Sixth UGC Pay 
Review Committee report to the Centre.
S. Laxminayarana, chairman, said in a statement that the day marked the 
beginning of the agitation by university/college teachers. He stated 
that members of the federation would be forced to resort to more drastic 
action, including a nation-wide strike.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/06/stories/2008090652680300.htm

Other States - Puducherry

Teachers stage demonstration
Staff Reporter
PUDUCHERRY: Members belonging to the Forum of Government College 
Teachers’ Association on Friday staged a demonstration to protest the 
delay in the payment of salary to them for the month of August. 
President of the association D. Aravazhi Irissappane said the permanent 
teachers working in seven government colleges were not paid their salary 
for August till now. He said they were deprived of earned leave 
encashment and readership to lecturers. Government teachers in all the 
four regions of the Union Territory wore black badges during working 
hours as a mark of protest, he said.

















http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/09/15/2003423237

Tainan County teachers plan to protest against policies of Commissioner Su
By Flora Wang
STAFF REPORTER
Monday, Sep 15, 2008, Page 3
“Although the county government lost an appeal case at the Ministry of 
Education over the closure of the Tsungyeh Elementary School, Su 
insisted on closing the school despite the protests of parents and 
students.”
— Tainan County Teachers’ Association
The Tainan County Teachers’ Association is planning to hold a 
demonstration on the eve of Teacher’s Day to protest against policies by 
Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智).
The protest, with a theme of “fight incompetence and save education,” is 
scheduled for 9am on Saturday in front of County Hall.

“Education requires long-term planning, which means that education 
policy should display continuity and transcend political differences,” 
the association’s press release said yesterday.

The association said that education in the county had suffered from 
insufficient resources and “unnecessary administrative interference” 
from the county government.

The association questioned Su’s ability to handle the county’s education 
budget.

Citing statistics from the Executive Yuan, the association said the 
amount of education budget that the county government failed to put to 
use between 2003 and 2006 amounted to NT$5.1 billion (US$159.7 million).

The association also panned Su for his leadership style, accusing him of 
being “dictatorial” when determining education policy.

The association said that Su had broken a promise made during his 
campaign by imposing a limit last school year on the number of teachers 
in the county’s primary, junior high and high schools who could receive 
positive annual reviews, regardless of protests by teachers.

“Although the county government lost an appeal case at the Ministry of 
Education over the closure of the Tsungyeh Elementary School, Su 
insisted on closing the school despite the protests of parents and 
students,” the association said.

The association was referring to the merger of Tsungyeh Elementary 
School and Wencheng Elementary School into a facility that would focus 
on fine arts.

The county amended its regulations to allow for the merger on July 15 — 
the day after the ministry’s Committee of Appeal had ruled in student 
representative Cheng Ya-hsin’s (鄭雅心) favor to reconsider the merger.

When told of the decision, Cheng was quoted by the Liberty Times (the 
Taipei Times’ sister paper) as saying she was happy “because I can 
graduate from Tsungyeh as I wished.”

In response to the association’s criticism, County Education Department 
Director-General Wang Kun-yuan (王崑源) said it was inappropriate for 
the association to judge the county government’s ability by simply 
citing statistics from the Executive Yuan because failure to fully use 
the education budget was common across the country.

Su had not commented on the matter publicly as of yesterday, but the 
county government issued a press release questioning the legitimacy of 
the demonstration, saying that the teachers should focus on how to 
improve their own expertise instead.






http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/09/28/2003424449

Tainan teachers stage protest against commissioner

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Sunday, Sep 28, 2008, Page 2
Teachers in Tainan County took to the streets in a protest march in the 
county’s Sinying City (新營市) yesterday to voice their dissatisfaction 
with Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih’s (蘇煥智) education policies.
More than 1,000 members of the Tainan County Teachers’ Association and 
other teachers’ groups formed a procession more than 600m long that 
ended outside the county hall at about 11am.

Association chairman Hsu You-jen (許又仁) said that in Su’s six years of 
service, the county government’s education policies had sparked a lot of 
controversy.

He cited problems such as a lack of respect for grassroots teachers and 
professionalism, as well as administrative interference in schools’ 
operations — all of which he said had led to widespread dissatisfaction 
among county teachers.

The teachers are marching to express their concern about the county 
education system’s slipping competitiveness as a result of the local 
government’s policies, Hsu said.

At the county hall, a representative of the association presented a 
petition to Wang Kun-yuan (王崑源), director of the county’s education 
department, listing five of the association’s demands.

The demands included the pursuit of sustainable educational development, 
an increase in the education budget, the implementation of an impartial 
teacher evaluation system, respect for teachers’ autonomy and respect 
for the law in administering the education system.

Upon receiving the petition, Wang said he respected the right of 
teachers to express their dissatisfaction and to make a petition.

However, he said that the government would not change its position on 
the issue of teacher evaluation.








http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008154669_protest03.html?syndication=rss

September 3, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Comments (0) E-mail article Print view
Students boycott Chicago schools
More than 1,000 Chicago public-school students skipped the first day of 
classes Tuesday to protest unequal education funding, a boycott...
By JENNY SONG
The Associated Press
PREV 1 of 2 NEXT


M. SPENCER GREEN / AP
Hundreds of Chicago public-school students line up to fill out 
applications to attend the more affluent New Trier School District in 
Northfield, Ill.
NORTHFIELD, Ill. — More than 1,000 Chicago public-school students 
skipped the first day of classes Tuesday to protest unequal education 
funding, a boycott organizers said would continue through the week with 
help from retired teachers who will turn office lobbies into impromptu 
classrooms.
The students took church buses 30 miles north to the suburb of 
Northfield, where they filled out applications to enroll in the 
better-funded New Trier District. The move was largely symbolic because 
students must pay tuition to attend a school outside their home district.
The turnout fell short of the thousands organizers expected and was a 
fraction of the more than 400,000 students who attend Chicago public 
schools, but protesters and their parents said they're willing to keep 
the boycott going as long as it takes to persuade state officials to 
give their district more money.
"It's on us kids," said Tracey Stansberry, 14, a student at Corliss High 
School. "If we don't, we'll be on the bottom."
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Mike Vaughn said he did not know how 
many students boycotted the country's third-largest district Tuesday; 
attendance figures would not be available for a few days. Although 
district officials agree the system is underfunded, he said, they 
consider it a mistake for the children to miss school.
"We want our kids to start the school year strong, and that means the 
first week of school," he said. "The first week, it is important for the 
kids to connect with teachers and lay the groundwork for the year."
Boycott organizers will attempt to set up impromptu classrooms today at 
Chicago City Hall and the state's James Thompson Center, and in the 
lobbies of more than a dozen Chicago corporations, including Boeing and 
Aon, that support Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
"If we say we're a world-class city, then we shouldn't be content with 
having second-class schools," said state Sen. James Meeks, who is 
leading the boycott of the district and is urging Gov. Rod Blagojevich 
and state lawmakers to address school-funding disparities.
In Illinois, property taxes account for about 70 percent of school 
funding, meaning rural and inner-city schools generally end up with less 
to spend per student than suburban schools in areas with higher property 
values.
Chicago Public Schools spent $11,300 a student last year. New Trier High 
School spent $17,500 a student, near the top in the state.
Meeks is pushing for a pilot program that would distribute $120 million 
to four clusters of schools — high schools and their feeder schools — on 
Chicago's West Side, South Side, south suburbs and downstate. The 
governor and legislative leaders have made no promises.
"I do not believe that a child's education should be based on where they 
live," Meeks said.
New Trier Superintendent Linda Yonke acknowledged that money played a 
role in school performance, along with supportive parents and 
hardworking students. She said 1,100 elementary students and 150 
high-school students from Chicago filled out enrollment applications 
Tuesday for New Trier.








http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/278998/36/

Wednesday, 03 September 2008
Chicago students skip school to protest


Jenny Song - The Associated Press
NORTHFIELD, Ill. -- Hundreds of Chicago public school children are 
spending the first day of classes lined up outside a wealthy suburban 
school to protest district funding disparities.
The students rode buses Tuesday from Chicago's South Side to New Trier 
High School's campus in Northfield. Students are trying to enroll in 
more-affluent schools to draw attention to problems in Chicago's system.
Many of the protesters are wearing orange T-shirts that read "Save Our 
Schools Now."
State Sen. James Meeks is organizing the boycott and says he expects the 
protest to run at least until Friday.
Parents say they're willing to keep their children out of their normal 
schools for as long as it takes to get state action on the funding issue.







http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/sep/03/chicago-kids-skip-school-protest-funding-20080903/?subscriber/national

Chicago kids skip school to protest funding
Students hit road to make symbolic enrollment attempt at wealthier district
BY JENNY SONG THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


NORTHFIELD, Ill. — More than 1,000 Chicago public school students 
boycotted the first day of classes Tuesday in a protest over school 
funding and instead rode buses more than 30 miles north to try to enroll 
in a wealthy suburban district.








http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/aug/28/local/chi-school_boycottaug28

Archive for Thursday, August 28, 2008
Suburban school districts, police working out protest logistics
Officials say they will welcome Chicago students
By Lisa Black and Tara Malone
August 28, 2008
They don’t know how many children will report for school Tuesday, when 
they will arrive, who will accompany them or what they’ll do.

But educators, police and New Trier Township residents are preparing for 
what could be an unprecedented influx of city students Tuesday in an 
effort to highlight the financial inequities that divide Illinois schools.

With an eye toward everything from traffic to toilets, school 
administrators in Winnetka and Northfield said they want to plan for 
“every contingency” and use the occasion as a lesson for their students. 
They know there’s little room for missteps given the legal and racial 
pressures that entangle the issue.

“We do see this as an educational opportunity,” New Trier Township High 
School Supt. Linda Yonke said.

State Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago) has called for city students to 
boycott their own schools on what is to be the first day and get on one 
of 125 buses he has reserved to transport them from Chicago’s South Side 
to New Trier High School and Sunset Ridge School. He has said the 
students will attempt to enroll in the suburban schools.

Meeks pledged to cancel the plan if by Friday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, 
Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan endorse a 
three-year, $120 million project to prove that more money and resources 
would strengthen the academic standing of low-performing schools. The 
lawmakers, all in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, had not 
met by Wednesday afternoon. Meeks blamed Blagojevich.

“[Blagojevich] is the only one who doesn’t have the time. I would think 
the priorities of the school kids of Illinois outweigh anything else,” 
Meeks said.

In Chicago Wednesday, Board of Education President Rufus Williams urged 
students and parents to not boycott and questioned the logic of Meeks’ 
plan. More than 100 people made a similar plea during a rally outside 
the Chicago Public Schools headquarters during a board meeting.

Keith McFall said he plans to accompany his son Tuesday to Hope College 
Prep High School.

“A child should not miss one day of school,” said McFall, a South Side 
resident.

Meanwhile, Winnetka and Northfield police are working to prevent traffic 
jams around the three affected campuses: Sunset Ridge School and New 
Trier High School’s freshman campus, both in Northfield, and New Trier’s 
east campus in Winnetka. School administrators are discussing crowd 
control and how to ensure classes continue as planned.

State law prevents schools from enrolling students who live elsewhere 
unless they pay tuition. Families looking to register students typically 
must show a birth certificate, school transcript, medical paperwork and 
proof of residency in accord with Illinois law.

Details about when students will arrive and where they will go remain 
unclear, said school officials, police and Meeks’ spokeswoman.

“It’s just a rather dynamic situation,” Winnetka Deputy Police Chief 
Patrick Kreis said.

While some parents may fret about disruptions to the school day, at 
least one community group hopes to welcome visitors with doughnuts, 
water and posters.

“We’ve had parental reactions from ‘I’m not sending my kids to school’ 
to ‘Let’s have a big tent and throw a big party,’ ” said Peter Fischer, 
president of the Sunset Ridge School District 29 Board. He said visitors 
to that school, which serves Grades 4 through 8, will be ushered into 
the gym—the only place big enough to hold a large crowd.

“We plan to set out chairs and we’ll have water and cookies. I don’t 
want the kids to be uncomfortable,” Fischer said.

Sunset Ridge PTO President Sue Siegel of Northfield said parents 
initially asked her whether they should send their kids to school Tuesday.

“I reiterate the value of a school day and that I see no reason to keep 
them home,” Siegel said.

At New Trier, teachers have been given a primer on school funding to 
help field questions from students, Yonke said.

The boycott may be discussed in relevant classes.

On Wednesday, nearly two dozen parents, clergy and residents met to plan 
for the students “in a welcoming capacity,” said Katie Seigenthaler of 
Winnetka, a New Trier parent and spokeswoman for a new initiative called 
United We Learn.

“We are aware there are many ways to look at this situation. We choose 
to see this as an opportunity to open discussion,” Seigenthaler said.

For some, the scene poised to unfold next week may be reminiscent of 
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech on housing segregation in Winnetka 
Village Green more than four decades ago.

The civil rights leader drew nearly 10,000 people to the North Shore 
town in July 1965.

Tribune reporters Carlos Sadovi and Rick Pearson contributed to this 
report.






http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=5723908&page=1

Protesting Students Head Back to School
School District Blasts Use of Children in Opening Day Protest Over 
Education Funding
By ASHLEY PHILLIPS
Sept. 4, 2008

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The nearly 1,000 Chicago students who skipped school the last two days 
to protest unequal public school funding are returning to school today 
now that the boycott has been canceled.

A school official welcomed some of the hundreds of Chicago public school 
students with their parents...
(M. Spencer Green/AP Photo)
State Sen. James Meeks, who, along with pastors at Chicago area 
churches, called for the protest, ended it late Wednesday, he told The 
Associated Press.
"The governor stated that he would not meet until the boycott was called 
off, so we are going to not only call his bluff but trust that he keeps 
this word," Meeks said. "We trust that the governor is a man of goodwill 
and good sense."
On Tuesday, nearly 1,000 students boarded buses provided by a group of 
85 pastors at Chicago churches to two suburban schools to call attention 
to what they call the "disparities" of school funding.
According to the New Trier school district, 150 high school students and 
800 elementary students attempted to register at New Trier Township High 
School and Sunset Ridge Elementary School Tuesday under the guidance of 
State Sen. Meeks. The registration was meant to draw attention to the 
issue.
Related

School's Out as Chicago Students Protest

Why Are Mr. Teachers Mistrusted in Schools?

Should Parents Accompany Kids at School?
"Illinois is trying to attract the [2016] Olympics by saying we are a 
world class city. How can we have a world class city and not have world 
class schools?" Meeks told ABCNews.com from the protest. "We want the 
city to pay attention to our schools. We want the state to pay attention 
to our schools."


Rev. Ira Acree of Greater St. John Church in Chicago, who helped 
organize the boycott, echoed that sentiment.
"We're bringing these children to Winnetka today because we have 
exhausted other methods," Acree said. "We want the governor and the 
senate and legislators all across the state to hear our plea. We want 
them to see the innocent children from Chicago who are victims of 
apartheid-style education. We want them to see the inequalities and 
disparities in our system."
According to Acree and Meeks, Chicago Public Schools are grossly 
underfunded compared with schools in wealthier districts, such as 
Winnetka, that have fewer minority students. In Illinois, students must 
pay tuition to attend schools outside their home district.
Chicago Public Schools, one of the country's largest school systems, 
spent $11,300 per student last year. New Trier High School spent $17,500 
per student. Like many districts across the country, public school 
funding in Illinois is tied to property taxes and land values. The more 
the property around a school is worth, the more funding it'd likely to get.

These are some of the hundreds of Chicago public school students with 
their parents who lined up to...
(M. Spencer Green/AP Photo)
"We're hoping to send a message today that a two-tiered school system is 
wrong. It is wrong for one of the wealthiest states in our nation to 
have the dubious distinction of leading American in school funding 
disparity," Acree said.
Although organizers believe the students will be rejected because they 
live outside the district, parents believe making the trip to the 
affluent suburb is worth it.
Shayont Gilmore, 31, who's a member of Greater St. John Church, took her 
7-year-old son out of school Tuesday to join the trip. Gilmore's son is 
in private school. For Gilmore, a graduate of the Chicago Public School 
System and her husband, making the sacrifice for that luxury is worth it.
Related

Meet the Joneses: Obama's Education Plan

Some D.C. Students to Be Paid for A's
"Being a parent, I'm tired of having to pay tuition in order to have a 
quality education," said Gilmore, who lives on the city's west side. "We 
can't really afford it, but we make the sacrifice."


Although there are disparities between districts, comparing a district 
like New Trier to Chicago is misleading, said Matt Vanover, a spokesman 
for the Illinois State Board of Education.
"If you look at CPS, certainly they're going to be disparities. ... But 
Chicago is above the state average when it comes to funding," he said. 
"It's difficult to make those types of comparisons. The enrollment at 
CPS is 358,000. The enrollment at New Trier is 3,900.
"But I don't think anyone would argue the fact that we do need to 
reformulate the way we fund education. It creates great inequities in 
per pupil spending," he said.
Not everyone believes that a boycott involving students during a school 
day, particularly the first day of school, is the best way to make that 
point.
"We understand Sen. Meeks' concern and appreciate his desire to 
dialogue, but anytime school's in session, a child needs to be in 
school," Vanover said. "You want to start the year off right. The longer 
you wait to get students in, the less likely they are to come."

(Getty Images )
Chicago Public Schools, which did not return phone calls to ABCNews.com 
by deadline, echoed those sentiments to The Associated Press.
"Any adult that tells their child not to go to school sends that child 
down a path that is self-destructive," Chicago schools CEO Arne Duncan 
told The Associated Press. "Yes, we are desperately underfunded. Yes, we 
need to challenge that status quo. But let me be clear. Adults should 
fight that battle. Children should be in school."


But for Acree that argument just doesn't hold water. Acree says that 
this boycott is a last resort to show legislators that Chicago residents 
are serious about changing schools.
"There's been a great debate in Chicago over whether this boycott is 
necessary, even though for nearly 30 years we've had growth in 
disparities across the state of Illinois. You hear these leaders claim 
that it is wrong to ask children to participate in the boycott," Acree 
said. "We're hoping to send a message today that a two-tiered school 
system is wrong. ... It's important for our children to take advantage 
of this social justice lesson."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.






http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94290389&ft=1&f=1003

Novel Tactics At Chicago School-Funding Protests
by Cheryl Corley
Listen Now [3 min 28 sec] add to playlist
All Things Considered, September 4, 2008 • Organizers of a school 
boycott in Chicago are trying high-profile tactics to protest education 
funding. On Tuesday, more than 1,000 students skipped the first day of 
classes. On Wednesday, some classes were held in the lobbies of office 
buildings.





http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/2827124.php?contentType=4&contentId=2623883

Posted: Thursday, 21 August 2008 4:11PM

North Shore Cops Plan For Protest


NORTHFIELD, Ill. (WBBM) - New Trier Township High School students 
attended their first day of classes Thursday without any influx of 
Chicago schoolchildren.
But State Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago), who is planning a Sept. 2 
Chicago school boycott and registration protest, spent much of the day 
on the North Shore.
WBBM’s Bob Roberts has the story.
Meeks and several supporters met Senate colleague Jeff Schoenberg 
(D-Wilmette) and north suburban school and police officials at the 
Northfield police station. They then took a bus tour of the elementary 
and high school campuses in New Trier Township which are expected to be 
the focus of the protest.
Meeks said the intent was to get a better sense of the logistics that 
would be involved in bringing the students to the North Shore to attempt 
to register for classes.
He said he saw no point in bringing students to the suburbs before 
Chicago's opening day of school, Sept. 2, even though most north 
suburban districts are starting school this week or next.
“If we'd had them here today, no one would have paid attention to it,” 
Rev. Meeks said, explaining his decision not to try to begin classes on 
the same timetable as north suburban students.
Meeks is trying to dramatize the inequities he sees in the existing 
funding system. He seeks changes that would direct more funding toward 
Chicago and other impoverished districts.
Meeks and his supporters are urging students to boycott the entire first 
week of classes in Chicago's public school system. CPS classes resume 
Tuesday, Sept. 2. He intends to lead protests Sept. 3-5 at the Aon 
Building, Wrigley Building, Sears Tower, James R. Thompson Center, City 
Hall, and other downtown landmarks, during which boycotting students 
will receive four hours of “instruction” each day.
“In fact, the curriculum we've planned is so good they will probably be 
ahead of the other students when they get back,” Meeks said.
On Thursday, Meeks produced a letter from Linda Riley Mitchell, the 
chief financial officer of the Illinois State Board of Education. In it, 
Mitchell said boycotting the first day or first week would have no 
effect on Chicago school funding, because the city can use any three 
months or September from any of the past three years when calculating 
attendance figures for purposes of funding.
Last year's opening day attendance in the Chicago system set a record.
Meeks contends that state law allows suburban districts to register 
Chicago school children and waive fees if an emergency exists, and said 
the funding crisis constitutes an emergency in his eyes.
New Trier officials disagree. District 203 Supt. Linda Yonke Thursday 
sent a letter to parents in which she said Chicago students who attempt 
to register will be turned away.
Several elementary districts in New Trier Township, which also are 
expected to be the target of demonstrations, have sent similar letters 
in recent weeks.










http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1192220.html

Parents protest Twin Rivers school schedule change
Published: Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | Page 2B
A scheduling change in Twin Rivers Unified School District prompted a 
small demonstration Wednesday morning by parents at Hillsdale Elementary 
School.
They are upset their children must come 85 minutes later on Wednesdays 
than other days.
Leaders of Twin Rivers – formed July 1 when four districts merged – 
negotiated a change with the teachers union to create a consistent slot 
Wednesday mornings for staff development.
The three elementary districts had scheduled such time at the end of school.
The new unified schedule started Wednesday. At Hillsdale, where students 
normally start at 8:15 a.m., classes began at 9:40 a.m.
– Deb Kollars





http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=47364

No State Budget Sparks Protest
Posted By: Karen Massie 1 year ago

SACRAMENTO, CA - School teachers, staff and parents protested around 
California Friday. The Education Coalition called the "Statewide Day of 
Action" to grab the attention of state lawmakers who have yet to pass a 
state budget.
In Sacramento, the protestors went iinside the State Capitol looking for 
legislators. One of them, Sacramento math teacher Mike Bustos sits on 
the board of the California Teachers Association. "We can't plan for a 
full school, if we don't know how much money we're going to have coming 
in," he said.
Bustos was joined by members of the California State Parent Teachers 
Association and California School Employees Association. They carried a 
basket of apples and a pop quiz.
"We don't want proposals from the Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats 
or the governor," Bustos said. "We want lawmakers to choose the original 
conference committee's budget compromise which was rejected." Protestors 
said schools will miss a September payment of $2.5 billion if a budget 
isn't approved soon. That's more financial pain for school, says Bustos, 
who teaches at Will C. Wood Middle School.
"At my school we already have two math positions filled by substitute 
teachers," he said. "Our custodial staff has been cut way back. In the 
last 10 years their responsibility for cleaning rooms has multiplied 
ten-fold."
When protestors stopped by the Governor's Office, Gov. Schwarzenegger's 
press secretary, Aaron McLear, came out to meet them.
"The governor has made education a priority during his time in office," 
McLear said. "This year we're faced with a $15 billion deficit and we're 
still fully funding Proposition 98 and making sure we're giving schools 
all we can."
But Bustos countered that a lack of state funds has teachers buying more 
supplies. He said schools can't get all the instructional materials they 
need to help students pass mandated tests.
"At some of our schools, librarians have been cut," Bustos said. "At 
other schools, nurses have been cut because there's no funding for them."
As they went into the legislators' offices, protestors discovered most 
weren't in the capitol.
"I'm surprised. I would think they would be here," said Bustos. "The 
budget is 67 days late. They need to lock themselves in a room and come 
up with a budget plan. They need to get it done. They should have had it 
done."





http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20080915-160869/UP-faculty-workers-protest-wage-hike-delay

UP faculty, workers protest wage hike delay
By Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:29:00 09/15/2008

Filed Under: Wages & Pensions, University, Local authorities
MANILA, Philippines – Around 200 faculty members and nonacademic workers 
of the University of the Philippines (UP) Monday marched to its main 
campus in Diliman, Quezon City, Monday to protest the two-month delay in 
the release of their 10-percent salary increase.
Bearing placards containing their demands, members of the All UP Workers 
Alliance held a program at the lobby of the Quezon Hall shortly before 
the scheduled meeting of senior university officials around 3 p.m.
The protesters assailed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) 
for its alleged arbitrariness in holding funds for the increase.
Dr. Judy Taguiwalo, national vice president for faculty of the All UP 
Academic Employees Union, said they could not understand why DBM 
Secretary Rolando Andaya has yet to act on several requests made 
regarding the wage increase.
Citing an executive order issued by President Macapagal-Arroyo on May 1, 
Taguiwalo argued that all government workers, including UP personnel, 
should have received the increase effective July 1.
“We see no logical reason why the DBM should keep what is rightfully due 
us,” Taguiwalo told the Inquirer.
“It’s been two months now since they delayed our salary hike. With the 
worsening inflation rate, the 10 percent additional salary could hardly 
help us keep up with the rising costs of goods and services,” she added.
UP President Emerlinda Roman earlier told Taguiwalo’s group in a letter 
that the DBM declined to approve the budget for the wage hike because UP 
was no longer included in the government Salary Standardization Law when 
the university’s new charter was signed last April.
Roman briefly spoke Monday with the protesters on her way to the meeting 
of the UP President’s Advisory Council.
She said she was optimistic that the DBM would soon approve the funds 
after the agency asked for documents and the draft of an agreement 
between the university and DBM.
Roman said she found it strange that while the national government 
regarded UP as the top university in the country, “our employees have 
the lowest salary among government workers. I think that’s inconsistent.”
“I assure you that we’re doing what is needed to give you the best of 
both worlds,” she told the protesters, apparently referring to their 
efforts to get the nod of the DBM while studying ways to improve other 
benefits for UP personnel.
Taguiwalo, however, said they were not contented with Roman’s speech.
She then challenged the UP executive to join them in a prayer rally to 
press Andaya to hasten the release of the funds.
“President Roman told the union that all we can do now is pray. If she’s 
really with us, then she should lead us in a prayer rally in front of 
the DBM office,” Taguiwalo said.







http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/100308dnmetdisdprotesters.d43493d1.html

Dallas teachers left wondering about their jobs
07:45 PM CDT on Thursday, October 2, 2008
By DAN X. McGRAW and MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News
dmcgraw at dallasnews.com
mhaag at dallasnews.com
Teachers who gathered at today's Dallas school board meeting to protest 
staff cuts are now left wondering whether they will be among those who 
lose their jobs.

MATTHEW HAAG/The Dallas Morning News
Teachers and other protesters gathered outside Dallas school district 
headquarters to speak out against the proposed cuts.
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Also Online
Blog: Dallas ISD
"We are in shock," said Diana Stansberry, who teaches at Kimball High 
School. "We don't know where this is going."
The board approved nearly 1,100 layoffs, including 550 teachers. 
Affected employees will be notified as early as next week.
Kimberly Stephens, who teaches at George Washington Carver Elementary 
School, said the news felt like a “kick to the gut.”
“They don’t care about us,” she said. “If they did, they would have 
found another way to help clean up this mess.”
On the other hand, Juanita Giddens, a teacher at HS Thompson Elementary, 
said she was somewhat relieved that the board finally took a vote — even 
if the members approved cuts.
“I knew it was going to happen,” she said. “I feel better that the vote 
has happened.”
Chrisdya Houston, a third grade teacher, broke down in tears as she 
talked about the layoffs.
“These past few weeks have been very stressful,” Ms. Houston said. “I am 
worried about other people, not just myself.”
Evelyn Lorenz said her fifth-grade students at Soto Elementary School 
have been asking her whether she and other teachers will lose their jobs.
“This isn’t going to be pleasant,” she said.
Before the board's vote, some 200 protesters gathered outside DISD 
headquarters to speak out against the layoffs. Many of them wore red as 
a sign of unity.
Many teachers had said regardless of the board vote, they no longer 
trust the district's administration.
"Who is being held accountable for this?" said JoAnn Lemon, a 33-year 
veteran teacher. "You can't trust principals on up, you know?"
Richard Goodwin, who teaches geography at Townview Magnet Center, said 
he has taught in DISD for 31 years and also graduated from the district.
“I’ve always been proud to be a Dallas Independent School District alum, 
but today I am ashamed,” he said. “If Hinojosa were the CEO of a Fortune 
500 company, he would be cut.”
Beth Bartholf, who teaches talented and gifted students, said she thinks 
someone has mishandled funds. She held a sign carrying the message, 
"Dishonesty? Incompetance?"
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “This isn’t a little mistake. Criminal 
charges should be filed.”
Some teachers said the pressure of knowing they could lose their jobs 
has made it difficult to come to work every day.
Sarah Nour, an elementary teacher, said she threw up at school on 
Wednesday and breaks down in tears daily while at work. She was hired in 
February.
"It makes me worry about the kids," Ms. Nour said. "No one is going to 
bat for the kids."
If she is let go, Ms. Nour said she doesn't want to be responsible for 
telling her students that she is leaving.
"I want Hinojosa to tell my kids why I'm leaving," she said. "I'm going 
to have to tell my kids why I'm leaving. It's ridiculous."
Tara Decker, who teaches at Soto Elementary, said she has had a hard 
time being enthusiastic because she is worried for her job and her 
co-workers' jobs.
"This isn't our fault," she said.
Ms. Decker said she took a job in DISD because it paid well.
"It isn't about the money anymore," she said. "It's about the security 
and being appreciated."
Jim Thompson, a librarian at Spence Middle School, said he has stopped 
holding meetings for a school cartoon club.
“I don’t know if I’ll be here after October,” Mr. Thompson said.
Aimee Bolender, president of the Alliance AFT union, spoke to the crowd 
with a bullhorn.
“I will tell you because of the incompetence that I was not willing to 
trust this administration to do this process right,” Bolender said. “I 
never wanted to trust them to work up the guidelines because I knew they 
wouldn’t be fair."
As protesters walked along Ross Avenue and Washington Avenue, the crowd 
began chanting "Where did the money go? We want to know."





http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24298746-12332,00.html

TAFE nursing degrees spark protest
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Andrew Trounson | September 05, 2008
Article from: The Australian
VICTORIAN nurses are set to ramp up their campaign to stop TAFEs from 
offering nursing degrees with a rally of 2,000 or more nurses planned 
next week in Melbourne.
While the nursing profession says it is seeking to defend standards and 
its status, the TAFE in question says it is just a case of “academic 
snobbery”.

The “nursing forum” meeting on September 11 in Melbourne has been timed 
just ahead of an expected decision this month by the Nursing Board of 
Victoria on whether to approve Victorian TAFE Holmesglen's application 
to start teaching a bachelor of nursing degree from next year.

The Australian Nursing Federation and Royal College of Nursing Australia 
are further backing their campaign against the proposed TAFE moves with 
newspaper advertisements.

The meeting “is to make sure the profession is fully informed about what 
is happening and to be able to relay to the nursing board the feeling of 
the profession,” Elizabeth Foley, acting executive director of the Royal 
College of Nursing Australia, told The Australian.

The nursing profession is worried that allowing TAFEs to offer nursing 
degrees will downgrade a profession that has fought a long battle since 
the 1980s to be treated as tertiary educated colleagues of doctors, 
rather than their subordinates.

They claim that TAFEs, with their traditional focus on vocational 
training, won't provide the research and analytical training needed by 
modern registered nurses.

But Holmesglen has hit back, saying its three-year bachelor course would 
be as good as any university nursing degree.

Holmesglen's bachelor of nursing curriculum has already been approved by 
the Victorian Resigtration and Qualifications Authority.

Responding to rising demand for nurses and looming shortages, Holmesglen 
is planning to offer 40 places in its nursing degree next year but is 
still waiting on approval from the federal Government on whether its 
places will qualify for commonwealth-supported funding, like 
universities. If they don't, the course will be full-fee paying, 
suggesting some take up by foreign students.

If all goes to plan Holmesglen is expecting to have 400 nursing degree 
students on campus by 2012.

Another Victorian TAFE, Boxhill, is considering offering a bachelor of 
nursing.

But Foley is concerned that the vocational focus in TAFEs on teaching 
tasks wouldn't deliver the “autonomous decision making skills” required 
of registered nurses.

“It is ultimately going to impact on their ability to provide safe, 
quality care to their patients,” Foley said.

But Holmesglen Associate Director Leone English, herself a nurse, says 
there is no basis to such claims. She noted that TAFEs like Holmesglen 
were recognised providers of higher education courses as well as 
vocational training.

“We will prepare students as scholars as well as prepare them for the 
workforce,” English said.

“We (the nursing profession) didn't fight to go to university, we fought 
for equality with the other healthcare professions,” she said.

Registered nurses make up about 70 per cent of the total clinical 
nursing workforce, and are required to have a minimum three-year 
bachelor degree. So-called enrolled nurses are required to have 
high-level certificates or diplomas, depending on which state they are in.







http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI96232/

Broward teachers protest for contract

Related Article Links
• Video: Broward teachers protest for contract
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Teachers kicked off their shoes as part 
of a protest Wednesday in hopes they will get a contract.
Broward County teachers protested by marching outside of the School 
Board's building. They brought their old shoes and made a huge pile to 
try to make the point that teachers take their "soles" to work.
Teachers said this is their latest attempt to improve their chances to 
get a contract. "The district is trying to establish professional sweat 
shops and that is not going to happen in Broward County," said Union 
leader Pat Santeramo.
Contract negotiations were brought down as teachers demanded a 4.5 
percent cost of living increase, but the school's superintendent said he 
can only scrape up 3 percent.
Broward Schools Superintendent James Notter said, "Our employees deserve 
better. The corporate board and the superintendent believe that it is 
our employees that makes our school system great, but we're funded at 
50th in the nation and took a horrendous $93 million reduction this year 
alone."
The state supreme court tossed out Amendments Five, Seven and Nine on 
the November ballot. Those amendments would have provided for further 
cuts in funding to public schools and the school district was taking 
that into account.
The school board will meet Wednesday afternoon to talk about this next 
week in hopes of gaining positive news for the union.






http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/02/2352804.htm

NSW teachers stage stop-work protest
Posted Tue Sep 2, 2008 10:00am AEST
Updated Tue Sep 2, 2008 11:03am AEST

Walkout: Most schools will provide minimum supervision. (AAP Image, file 
photo: Glen McCurtayne)
Up to 70,000 teachers from New South Wales public schools and TAFE 
colleges have walked off the job as part of their ongoing dispute with 
the State Government.
Teachers stopped work at 9:00am (AEST) and will spend two hours 
discussing further action on staffing, standards and the Government's 
2.5 per cent pay offer.
A vote will be held at meetings across the state about further 
industrial action.
Most schools have told the Education Department they will provide 
minimum supervision for their students, but more than 250 schools have 
been forced to close while teachers meet.
The deputy president of the NSW Teachers Federation, Bob Lipscombe, says 
some schools may be closed during the action.
"Parents have hopefully by now been advised by their schools as to 
whether their school is open or not," he said.
"If they're in any doubt they should contact their school.
"Many schools will be closed and parents should be aware of that and 
no-one wants to place children at risk by attending a school where 
there's inadequate supervision."
The NSW Department of Education estimates that about 90 per cent of 
public schools will stay open, despite the industrial action.
The department's director-general, Michael Coutts-Trotter, says he 
understands some parents will be frustrated.
"We are about to go into negotiations with the teacher's union, so this 
is pre-emptive," he said.
"It won't make a jot of difference to the outcome, but it will, sadly, 
inconvenience thousands of parents around NSW."
Federation president Maree O'Halloran says teachers will continue to 
insist on a 5 per cent pay rise and forge ahead with further stop-work 
action.
"They have also called on the State Government to reinstate the mixed 
system of staffing, where there is a transfer system and some local 
selection," she said.
"They have said that they are ready to take more industrial action if 
it's necessary. I hope it's not necessary, I hope the Government will 
negotiate."







http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/09/17/school_bus_service.html

School bus service reduction plan faces tweaks
By KRISTINA TORRES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
As parents Tuesday night packed a meeting to protest DeKalb County’s 
proposal to stop busing students beyond their neighborhood schools, 
Superintendent Crawford Lewis admitted he will likely have to compromise 
to see the plan through.
“I don’t think the [school] board will support all parts of the 
recommendation,” Lewis said. He went on to mention the possibility of 
only reducing service, with buses picking up children at central locations.
DeKalb is trying to save money as the school system wrestles with 
funding cuts, soaring fuel prices and declining student enrollment.
Parents at both Tuesday’s meeting at Southwest DeKalb High School night 
and at a meeting last week suggested that the system should consider 
using hubs instead of its current practice of door-to-door transportation.
The move to end out-of-zone busing would affect about 5,600 of the 
district’s 99,600 students, including those who may be enrolled in 
magnet schools, charter schools and academic theme schools or who 
transferred from lower-performing campuses.
No other system in Georgia has as wide a range of magnet and choice 
schools or offers such extensive bus service. Now, officials say they 
can no longer afford such wide-ranging busing.
System officials expect to lose another $10.5 million in state funds 
this school year. If that happens, austerity cuts in state education 
funding by May will have cost DeKalb more than $100 million since 2002.
Educators are scrambling to find ways to close the gap. For example, 
they say, the busing change alone would save the system $5.9 million a year.
Lewis said last week he also would consider additional measures that 
could include a one-day-a-month furlough for some employees, four-day 
workweeks and reducing or closing the system’s pre-kindergarten program.
At the request of the board, Lewis already planned to downsize 
non-school staff. Some details of those plans are expected to be 
announced next month.






http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/153504

Students, Teachers Protest against Government

Reported: 19:35 PM - Sep/23/08

(IsraelNN.com) Approximately 100 high school students and teachers are 
protesting in Tel Aviv at this hour over more alleged violations by the 
government of previous agreements on education. The students and 
teachers unions last year staged several strikes following disagreements 
between them and the government over proposals for reform in the 
education system.
Following an agreement, there have been frequent charges that government 
is not keeping its end of the bargain. Police are supervising the 
demonstration, and no violence was reported.





http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/23/2372478.htm

NT teachers protest against strike ban
Posted Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:11pm AEST

Teachers have refused the Govt's offer of a 12 per cent raise. (ABC 
News: file photo)
Teachers have protested on the steps of Parliament House in Darwin, 
against the Industrial Relations Commission's (IRC) decision to stop 
this week's planned strike.
Northern Territory teachers have refused the Government's latest offer 
of a 12 per cent pay rise over three years.
They had been planning to strike for three days this week but the 
commission suspended any action until November 20.
Nadine Williams from the Education Union says teachers are angry.
"The problem we have as a union is that we have tried every possible 
means to make that the clearest message we can, both to the Minister for 
Education and our negotiators," she said.
"We have not been successful, we care about the conditions that our 
students are learning in because they're our working conditions, they 
are the same thing."
Ms Williams says there will be an appeal to the full bench of the IRC.
"We're seeking proper legal advice and seeking to know that the grounds 
of an appeal will be firm and at this stage that looks like going 
ahead," she said.
Education Minister Marion Scrymgour did not attend today's rally but the 
Government says is trying to organise a meeting between the union and 
the Public Employment Commission for later this week.