Dissecting the workings of the Education Department

By Mayborn Lyngdoh R

Meghalaya was known as the educational hub of the entire North-east, if not the entire country. Students all corners of the seven states would throng to Shillong, in particular for higher education, over the decades. The minute hand of the clock is now forced backwards. The once vigorous and passionate Education System of Meghalaya first lost its fluffy feathers, then it’s strength, and lastly the significance of its existence. To amalgamate the flawed roots, would take a dissertation of half a lifetime. Hence I will only touch on the core of the system as stated in Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 and Meghalaya School Education Service Rules, 2012.

At one time the education system of Meghalaya rested gleefully on the shoulders of the able bureaucrat(s) while they relied on the technocrats. For the administration to run smoothly, it has to fall in line with the service rules, and the merit of their criteria to run the administrative framework without hassles. Let us take a look at the etymological and chronological ladder of the employees under the Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 and Meghalaya School Education Service Rules, 2012.

The Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 divides the service into two groups that is,

Senior School Service and Junior School Service:

Senior School Service:

Grade I:

Vice-Principal (HSS),

Assistant Headmaster/Headmistress,

Assistant Lecturer (HSS)

Assistant  D.I.   of   Schools (to  be  re-designated  as Additional SDSEO),and  Assistant DAEO/Assistant DSEO.

Grade II:

Sub-Inspector of Schools,

Assistant Teacher (SS)(Graduate with B.Ed),

District Science Supervisor,

Technical Assistant Science Education, Drill/Drawing Teacher (Graduate),SEO/LSEO(Graduate),

Assistant Teacher (Graduate with B. Ed/without B. Ed) teaching in both UPS and SS of amalgamated schools, and Head Teacher of UPS (Graduate).

Junior School Service:

Grade I:

Head Teacher of UPS/Sr. Basic Schools

(Under graduate/PUC),

AssistantTeachersUPS/Sr.Basic Schools (Graduate),Drill-cum-DrawingMaster in UPS/Sr.Basic Schools, and Hindi Teacher, UPS/Sr.Basic Schools (Graduate).

Grade II

AssistantTeacher, UPS/Sr.Basic Schools(Under Graduate/PUC)

Grade III:

Head Teacher, LPS/Jr.Basic Schools,

Assistant Teacher,(Matriculate/HSLC Passed)

Craft Teacher (Matriculate/HSLC Passed)

Craft Instructor (Non-Matriculate with Diploma/Certificate in Craft from recognised Technical Institution), and SEO/LSEO(Matriculate/HSLCpassed).

The first cracks in the Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 appeared with the inclusion of the Higher Secondary Section with the Secondary Section set-up. It has been argued that since the proportion of the service staff of Secondary Sections is overlapping with the Higher Secondary, therefore, 75% promotion is for the Grade II Senior School Service including the Asst. Teachers, while 25% is for the Asst. Lecturers. Let us pay a little attention to the first ascending promotional flaw.

Grade III of the Junior School Service can climb up to Grade I provided they fit the criteria. Then, Grade I (Head) can upgrade to Grade II of Senior School Service and

Grade II to Grade I (Head) while just being graduates. Owing to the defects in the rule book, most by-pass the promotional process from Grade II to Grade I of Senior School Service. Logically and moralistically, the ones being promoted from the lower ranks should have first held the office of the Asst. Head, however they are propelled to the position of Vice Principal by default. With time, all the Grade I of the Senior School Service will again be promoted to Junior Grade II post of School Education Service (i.e. SDSEO/ Headmaster/Headmistress of the Secondary School/Special officer. This further allows them the privilege to be promoted to Junior Grade I, and the process continues until they reach the position of the Additional Director of School Education Services.

The ladder of promotion at the lowest level in the Junior School Service in the Meghalaya School Service is transparent, precise and well drafted. However, when we move to the Senior School Service, there seems to be a purposeful disinterestedness on the part of the bureaucrats and the framers of the rulebook.

Qualifications and Service Record–

It is baffling as to why there are no set rules for Asst. Teachers to upgrade to Vice Principal as the required qualification for Asst. Lecturer is higher. In the same school, an Asst. Lecturer with a higher qualification and a longer service record is serving under a person who had initially joined under Grade II with a fresher service record because they enjoy the 75% quota whereas the latter enjoy 25%. What is more baffling is that Grade II of the Senior School Service continues to enjoy the 75% while holding the office equivalent to the Asst. Lecturer via promotion. This allows them to be eligible for quick successive promotions moving higher up the ladder as stated below according to the Meghalaya School Education Service rule, 2012–

Selection Grade:Director(Cadrepost of IAS/MCS)

Senior Grade I:         Additional Director

Senior Grade II:        Joint Director

Senior Grade III:      Deputy Director/District  School  Education Officer),

Junior Grade I:         Additional District School Education Officer/Special   Officer(Sc.)/Principal (Higher Secondary Schools

Junior   Grade II:      Sub-Divisional School Education Officer/Headmaster/Headmistress/Special Officer

Apart from the post of the Selection Grade: Director (Cadre post of IAS/MSC), all the criteria for all other positions are not specified. Moreover they can be attained through promotion or direct appointment by the MPSC. The dilemma here is that it has bred many immoral practices by opportunistic people in power to turn the law in their favour. On April 15, 2021, the Education Dept released the promotion list of the different posts as recommended by Departmental Promotion Committee –

Going through the list, I found that two persons (whose names I will not mention) who had been recently promoted in the month of June, 2020 to the position of the Vice Principal have again been promoted to Sub-Divisional School Education Officer (SDSEO) in April, 2021, while Asst. Lecturers who are due for the position of the SDSEO/Headmaster/Special Officer, continue to fall back in line.

Rule 19 Confirmation (a) of the Meghalaya School Education Service rule, 2012 clearly states that“he/she has served not less than one year in the post in which he/she is to be confirmed”.

Further, in Rule 17 seniority (b) of the Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012, says“Provided in any cadre a member appointed by promotion shall be senior to a member appointed by direct recruitment, where such appointment falls under the same year”.

The discrimination of the Asst. Lecturers under the Senior Service Grade I under the direct recruitment of the MPSC with a Post Graduate Degree is notorious. With a service record of over two decades or more, the Asst. Lecturers are neglected while others enjoy double promotion.

Furthermore, the Entry Point –

When Junior School Service Asst. Teachers from Upper Primary Level are upgraded to Grade II Senior, their entry date is counted from the time of joining office from Grade II of the Senior School Service, while the service of the teachers who start from the Grade II Senior School Service remains unclear.

Asst. Lecturers entry point is Master’s with B.Ed. while that of the Asst. Teachers is B.A. B.Ed. How can the Asst. Lecturers be clubbed into the same category with Grade II with lesser qualifications, while some of the Grade II of the Senior School Service can take the role of Grade I (Vice Principal), a designation higher than the more qualified Asst. Lecturers? There are no prerequisite qualifications for Grade II, Senior School unlike in the Junior School Service to go to the Senior School Service Grade II (as mentioned above).

They can even appoint as Vice Principal a person without a B.Ed. while only being a graduate as mentioned above in the Senior School Service Grade II. All promotions under the Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 are given by the DSEL (Directorate of School Education and Literacy) while promotion from Senior Grade I of Meghalaya School Service Rules, 2012 to Junior Grade II of the Meghalaya School Education Service Rules, 2012 is done by the Education Department.

It can be concluded therefore that the genesis of the flaws, the confusion and chaos in the system are partially because of the DSEL. Hence most technocrats holding the post in Meghalaya School Education Service right from Junior Grade II up to senior Grade I come from Grade II of the Meghalaya School Service Rule, 2012 without a formidable and formal criterion for promotion. This is a major loophole!

Though the Selection Grade post is held by the IAS/MCS most subordinate officers and technocrats are originally from Grade II of the Meghalaya School Service. Therefore, to protect their positions, the requisite qualifications have been intentionally neglected. The question we would like to ask now is, why can’t the Selection Grade officer not overlook even these simple Service Rules which are in shambles? Are the bureaucrat(s) so blinded by favouritism and partiality that they can even forego the dignity of their position? Or is it that they only enjoy the position, and salary without having the decency to work respectfully? Or are they left helpless without an ounce of fight in their veins over a graduate(s) way below par of their intellectual pinnacle. Education has been revered, respect and loved. Great men have lost and sacrificed their lives for knowledge and education. Alas! the education of today is politicised and DISGRACEFULLY gambled by learned men and women. What a Shame!

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