The A.P. United Teachers’ Federation (APUTF) on Tuesday (October 27, 2026) demanded that the Central and State governments protect public education and implement the Old Pension Scheme for government employees.
Speaking at a protest at Dharna Chowk in Vijayawada, as part of a nationwide teachers protest staged under the banner of South Teachers’ Federation of India, the APUTF State president N. Venkateswarlu and general secretary K.S.S. Prasad said that the Central and State governments were systematically undermining public education while favouring private institutions.
They alleged that the government was deliberately weakening the public education system, despite the presence of a large number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in government schools.
The federation leaders expressed concern over the closure and merger of government schools. Citing a NITI Aayog report, they said approximately 90,000 primary schools had been closed or merged with other schools. They said according to U-DISE Plus reports, 972 primary schools had been unofficially closed over the preceding two years and that government schools accounted for only 42% of students, highlighting the need to strengthen public education.
The federation demanded that 6% of GDP be allocated to education and that 30% of the State budget be earmarked for it. They also called for the provision of adequate staff in government schools, including secondary, upper-primary, and primary school teachers, as well as other essential personnel. They demanded that recruitment of teachers should be completed within six months and that promotions should also be provided.
The federation leaders also demanded timely filling of teacher vacancies in government schools and called for the recruitment of teachers through a Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) and a District Selection Committee (DSC), along with the appointment of special teachers and other necessary staff.
The protest was attended by State leaders and representatives of the federation, including K. Suresh Kumar, A.S. Kanaka Mahalakshmi, Kodikonda Reddy Mohan Rao, B. Lakshma Raju, S.P. Manohar Kumar, N. Satyasri, K.V. Uma Maheswara Rao, B. Subba Reddy, B.V. Ramana, N.S. Koteswara Rao, T.V.V.B. R. R. Chakravarthy, P. Jayakar, Sheikh Jabi, N. Ravi, K. Srinivasa Rao, and representatives from 28 districts, along with other office-bearers and State committee members.
Published – October 27, 2026 11:33 pm IST
