By Our Reporter
Shillong: A year after the State Government had approved the proposal sent by the Pre-Primary School Teachers’ Association on increment of their salary from Rs 1800 to Rs 6000 per month, the Association is now seeking an increase in their salary by Rs 16,000 per month.
Expressing appreciation over the approval by the State Government in relation to the increment of the monthly salary last year, the Meghalaya Pre Primary School Teachers (MPPST) have stated that with high cost rate, the Government now has to increase their pay by Rs 16000 per month.
“The pre primary teachers are being left out by the government even though the teaching imparted by them is directed at the grassroots since they teach kids between the age group of 3-6 years,” MPPST assistant secretary S Suting said.
This demand was put forward at the 2nd general conference conducted by the Pre Primary School Teachers under the banner Citizen Forum on Human Rights at the Khasi National Durbar Hall, Mawkhar here on Tuesday.
The teachers also expressed disappointment over delays in the disbursement of salary which is done once every three months.
“The increment from Rs 1,800 to Rs 6,000 per month is perhaps one of our greatest achievements but the late payment of the teachers’ salary is still an issue that needs to be looked at because this is one problem being faced by the teachers,” president of the Citizen Forum on Human Rights, W Kharnaior said.
“We want the government to pay our salaries on time so that the teachers do not face any problems,” he added.
Stating that violence is not the answer for everything, Kharnaior said, “There is no need for violence or any other means of agitation in demanding for our rights,” he said, adding that if the government fails to respond to their demands they could approach the court for justice.
Kharnaior also stated that all the pre primary teachers should be treated at par with the deficit teachers and the government or any other higher authority should not neglect or mistreat them.
General secretary of Garo Teachers’ Association, Thomas R Marak said, “For the last 20 years, we have been rendering services selflessly although we have been deprived of many rights and provisions under the law,” Marak said.
Reiterating on the issue pertaining to training programmes, the teacehrs’ association has stated that the two-year training conducted by the government was imparted only in English which puts the teachers at the pre primary level in trouble since they are imparting education in their respective schools in vernacular languages.