SHILLONG: President of Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association (KJDSTA) Kular Khongjirem criticised the state government for its step-motherly treatment towards teachers.
In a statement issued here, he pointed out at a series of initiatives of the Assam Government to uplift the teachers’ conditions.
Khongjirem said that the issues of teachers in Meghalaya are far off from their dreams.
“Here in Meghalaya, state government gives step-motherly treatment towards the teachers, with no regular salary, too much delay in release of arrears, no medical re-imbursement, no retirement benefits, no ACCPS, no promotion, etc.,” he remarked.
He questioned as to how the state can develop when teachers live in a pitiful condition during and after their services.
He stated that the Education department of Assam has fulfilled the needs and aspirations of teaching and non-teaching staffs in schools and colleges within this year, whereas the Education department here still remains behind in such terms.
According to Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, as many as 15,000 regular posts of teachers will be filled within six months this year and that 8,000 vacant posts of teachers will be filled at the secondary level after the declaration of the results by February, 2020.
A total of 4,993 schools involving about 13,362 teachers at the elementary level, 626 schools involving 4,828 teachers at the secondary level and 30 new colleges involving 900 teaching and non-teaching staff will be provincialised by August 2020, according the Assam minister.
Khongjirem lauded the Assam government for addressing all the issues of pay parity, security of tenure and medical reimbursement of 5,600 contractual high school teachers, 11,000 teachers under state posts and 32,000 under SSA schemes.