Ei-iE

Ram Pal Singh

Board Member, Asia-Pacific

published 22 February 2017 updated 11 October 2017

Ram Pal Singh hails from Uttar Pradesh in India. He started his professional career as a teacher at the age of 21. Considering the problems faced by teachers, he decided to join the teachers union to work for improving the service conditions, pay scales and rights of teachers. He became the General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh state branch of AIPTF in 1985, the post he held continuously for next 15 years. He led successfully various agitations and went to jail for not less than 10 times for the cause of teachers.

He took over the position as General Secretary in 1993 and President of All India Primary Teachers' Federation in 1997, the position he held continuously till date. Throughout his life as unionist, he led incessant struggle for upholding rights of teachers, fighting for quality education for all and strengthening AIPTF. Recognizing his commitment and expertise, Government of India appointed as member of various Government bodies and institution dealing with education policy and implementation like National Council of Educational Research and Training, National Council for Teacher Education, National University of Education Planning and Administration, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Governing Council and Executive Committee of National Mission of Sarva Shikshak Abhiyan (SSA).

He led AIPTF in its successful struggle demanding Education for All. The struggle led to the enactment of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act in 2009 making elementary education a fundamental right of all children. The struggles under his leadership ensured better pay scales and service condition for teachers including V and VI Pay Commissions. In 2014, he led a Nationwide March “Shiksha Yatra” as part of EI’s UNITE Campaign for Quality Education passing through all the states in the country culminated at New Delhi on 1st March 2014.

He is a strong crusader of quality education for all, upholding trade union and human rights. He is firmly opposed to privatization and commercialization of education in all forms. He firmly believes that quality education for all cannot be achieved through commercialization of education as children from poverty stricken homes and deprived sections of society will not have any access to commercialized schools because of their high tuition fee and other allied charges.