SSA teachers launch indefinite sit-in protest
Shillong, Oct 2: School teachers under the banner of the All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers’ Association on Tuesday began their indefinite sit-in-demonstration against the state government’s failure to enhance their salary for the past eight years.
The decision was taken after the 19 days’ “ultimatum” served to the state government expired on Monday (September 30).
The association has been demanding for 100 per cent salary enhancement to over 12541 SSA teachers in the state since 2019.
“We have decided to go ahead with our indefinite sit-in-protest after the education minister Rakkam A Sangma informed us that the government was yet take any decision on our demand for 100% salary enhancement,” general secretary of the association Wanpyndaphi Lapang told reporters at the protest venue at Malki ground here.
According to the association, the last salary hike took place in 2016.
In the past eight years, the SSA teachers have approached the government several times to consider raising their salary, but to no avail.
“The chief minister has always mentioned that the education sector is one of his top most priorities, so why is he neglecting the teachers? When the government has money to spend for festivals, why not for welfare of the teachers?” he wondered.
Admitting that the protest will affect thousands of students of SSA schools across the state, Lapang said, “This is a protest of each and every teacher and this means that teachers will not attend school till the government is ready to pay heed to our demand.”
“We have informed the school managing committees about our decision and we urged all teachers to join hands to pressurize the government to consider enhancing our salary, which is long overdue,” he added.
On Meghalaya SSA Schools’ Association (MSSASA)’s decision to pursue the demand for regularization of the services of SSA teachers, Lapang said that the education department officials have denied there is any move from the government to regularise the services of the SSA teachers.
Lapang also emphasized the need for the government to adopt the deficit pattern model while shifting the SSA teachers to the education department, whereby teachers are paid by the government and schools remain with the school managing committees.
