JOWAI, Jan 5: Contractual lower primary school teachers, under the banner of Contractual Teachers’ Association All Jaintia Hills Unit, have taken to the street on Tuesday as part of the association’s ‘Silent March’ against the reported move of the state government to terminate their services.
The march started from Lad-Kiang Nangbah College and culminated at Madan Jrisalein.
The government’s move to terminate the contractual LP school teachers came after the Meghalaya Teachers Eligibility Test (MTET) results were declared on February 25 last year.
The secretary of the Association, Arbihlang Suchiang, informed that out of the 1,200 teachers who appeared the MTET, only 10 per cent of them passed the exam. As per input, the state government will appoint MTET-passed candidates and terminate services of those who failed the exam despite being in service for several years, she added.
“We demand that the government give them a chance to appear the exam again as it was done for those who failed in the D.El.Ed and achieved 45 per cent marks in Class XII,” she said.
“Most of us have crossed the age limit for any new job and if the government decides to terminate our services, many will land up in great problem”, said a lady teacher.
“We had met the state Education Minister who told us that contractual teachers who have not completed MTET will be replaced by new one”, Suchiang informed.
The teachers’ body also informed that if the government failed to fulfil their demand, they will organise more agitations.
On the other hand, reacting to the teachers’ demands, vice president of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, West Jaintia Hills, conveyed solidarity on behalf of the group with the protesting teachers and extended support.