India's plea to suicide teachers

Many teachers have lost their jobs

Teachers in the eastern Indian state of Orissa are being urged not to use suicide as a means of protest against educational reforms.

Seven teachers were badly burned on Friday when they tried to set themselves alight in protest at being made unemployed.

The state's education minister, Bhagabat Behera, told the BBC that his adminstration was trying its best to absorb all teachers into the new scheme ordered by the central government in Delhi.

Under the old system, teachers moved from place to place according to demand in rural areas, but now they will be attached to a particular centre.

The protesters forced their way into the home of the Orissa State Assembly speaker, Sarat Kar, and set fire to themselves, police said.

One teacher, named as Vanaja Raul, suffered 75% burns in Friday's protest and is in a critical condition.

Literacy

Since March, 20,000 educators in the non-formal sysem have lost their jobs.

They used to move around to different places and only had to prove their literacy.

Now teachers will work for one centre and be expected to show they have the right experience and qualifications.

The changes mean a more formal education system

Mr Behera said the state government has already invited applicants for posts in primary schools in rural areas which could well absorb some of those made redundant.

But he stressed that those who are qualified and have a good performace record will be given preference.

There have long been suspicions that the old system was politically manipulated.

Mr Behera said the new strucutres are likely to be far more rigidly enforced and supervised to ensure they do not have the same failings.