SHILLONG: School education and literacy minister Deborah Marak has urged teachers to be professionals while discharging their duty of imparting knowledge and education to students.
Speaking at the official function organised to observe Teachers Day here on Tuesday, Marak said the state government has to complete the training of teachers by 2019 following a clear-cut directive from the central government that all teachers must be trained.
Urging teachers to be serious professionals in their working area, Marak said teaching was not a service, profession or job but a pillar of the society.
The minister lauded the teachers for carrying out their duties despite several hurdles.
She said the government has a key commitment of improving the lifestyles of teachers, for which, the government has from time to time has enhanced their salaries.
Marak said the State and the Centre were on a mission to train all teachers.
“We have made a commitment to implement this idea by March 31, 2019,” she said.
During the programme, Marak felicitated 13 teachers with state awards, three teachers with district awards and three teachers with special awards.
The minister further said the state government was rolling out many programmes to enhance teachers’ improvement at all levels though intensive in-service teachers’ training programmes under the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan.
Under the Abhiyan, the State Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya with the support of IITGuwahati, NIT Shillong, NEHU, EFLU and others will introduce teachers to a new range of teaching learning process in all core subjects.
Earlier, students and officials of the department presented a host of colourful programmes.
Celebrations boycotted
The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association supported faculty members of all colleges and universities across the country who boycotted Teachers’ Day celebrations and courted arrest in Delhi on Tuesday.
Members of the Meghalaya body flaunted black badges on Tuesday to show solidarity and held meetings.
The association said teachers across India are concerned about the government’s intentions of privatisation and corporatisation of higher education, which include setting up of the Higher Education Financing Agency and the Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency and granting of graded autonomy to universities and colleges.
Apart from this making NET/SLET mandatory for PhD registration, teachers felt it is detrimental for higher education and will deny many of youth the opportunity to go for research.
“While the rest of the government employees are enjoying 7th CPC, college and university teachers across India have been denied the facilities and are forced to go to the streets and voluntary court arrest for the first time in history of this nation,” the Association said.