Margao, Sept 6: Former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar on Sunday called for political parties to rise above differences and collectively address the long-pending issues faced by teaching and non-teaching employees across Goa.

Speaking at a Teachers’ Town Hall organised at Gomant Vidya Niketan, Margao, Patkar said teachers continue to face low remuneration, contractual uncertainty, delayed salaries, pending service benefits and lack of job security.

The Town Hall was attended by Goa Forward Party president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and AAP MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas. Patkar said their participation demonstrated that teachers’ rights should transcend political boundaries.

“Good politics is not about asking who gets the credit. Good politics is about asking whether the problem of the people has been solved,” Patkar said.

He highlighted concerns of pre-primary teachers reportedly earning ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per month, besides issues faced by contractual, lecture-basis, vocational and other teachers as well as non-teaching employees.

“You cannot demand permanent commitment from teachers while giving them temporary security,” he said, adding that symbolic Teachers’ Day celebrations were meaningless unless backed by concrete policy decisions.

Patkar demanded a comprehensive, time-bound review covering remuneration, regularisation, pending salaries, vacancies, promotions, service conditions, benefits and social security across Goa’s education sector.

He assured that issues raised during the Town Hall would be documented and pursued with the Education Department, Government and in the Assembly through opposition representatives.

“Teachers do not need sympathy. They need justice. Those who give our children a future deserve certainty about their own future,” Patkar said.