Concern over negative impact of Meghalaya Education Grant
Shillong, Sep 4: Ad hoc secondary teachers of the state have sought early fulfilment of their long pending demand for basic pay plus dearness allowance (DA) and expressed concern over possible negative impact of Meghalaya Education Grant (MEG) on the ad hoc teachers.
“Despite having submitted our suggestions (in May) on the Meghalaya Education Grant (MEG), the government has not invited us for further discussions. This made us feel that the government is not at all concerned about the welfare of the ad hoc teachers,” said the Bina Kharumnuid, president of Federation of All Meghalaya Adhoc Secondary Teachers’ Association (FAMASTA) after a meeting with commissioner & secretary in-charge education Vijay Kumar Mantri on Thursday.
According to the association, the demand for basic pay plus DA has been pending since 2006.
It has been advocating for job security and improved salaries for ad hoc teachers, who have seen their salaries enhanced from Rs 1,800 to Rs 29,000 over the years.
Kharumnuid said, during the meeting, the association had raised concern that the MEG may negatively impact ad hoc teachers, as it proposes that posts vacated by retiring teachers will not be filled, leading to potential salary deductions by School Managing Committees (SMCs) to appoint new teachers.
This, she argues, will affect not only the teachers but also the students.
“We have reiterated FAMASTA demands that ad hoc teachers be granted basic plus DA to ensure job security and improved salaries,” she said.
The association urged the government to take concrete action to address their demands, rather than simply acknowledging their suggestions.
“If we want to upgrade the standard of education, we also need to take care of the salary of the teachers besides proper inspection of schools and improved infrastructure,” Kharumnuid added.
