SHILLONG: The All Meghalaya Government LP School Contractual Teachers’ Association has urged the Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to retain the jobs of teachers who failed in the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) examination given the COVID-19 situation.
The association has said that most of the teachers are overaged and requested the government to make considerations. They have also demanded t a fresh in-service MTET re-examination.
Speaking to reporters, vice-president of the association, K. Kharsahnoh said that the association premised their demands on the ground that the teachers had passed the Diploma in Elementary Education (D. El. Ed) earlier even though they failed MTET examination.
The MTET examination was held on January 31, 2019 and the results were announced on February 25, 2020. There were over 16000 teachers who appeared in the examination out of which the existing teachers are 1120. Only 120 of the existing teachers passed the MTET examination.
It has baffled the association members as only 120 existing teachers passed the MTET examination out of the 1120 existing teachers.
“Many of the government teachers did not get through. It is imminent that the government will remove us but we are imploring upon the government to consider us as we are facing a tough situation due to the pandemic. Some of the teachers cannot get any other job as they are overaged”, Kharsahnoh said.
He also questioned the leakage of the MTET question paper last year and also raised doubts on allowing “tainted teachers” listed in the Education scam being allowed to sit for the examination.
Asked as to why they did not get through the MTET examination, Kharsahnoh said, “The questions were not tough but we did not get to prepare for the examination. We have to look after our families, school children. Although we passed the D.El.Ed but we did not realize that we will fail”.
He along with other association members said that they were apprehensive as the government has advertised the teachers’ posts again.
