Editor,
Through your daily, l wish to draw the attention of the Government of Meghalaya to the demand of old-age security of Deficit School Teachers of Khasi Jaintia and Garo Hills.
Every year the school students get excited to celebrate ‘Teachers Day’ on September 5. Teachers Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of the second President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Dr Radhakrishnan was a great teacher and a philosopher. On this day students sing, dance, make cards and gifts to express the love and gratitude for their teachers. Our Government also organises programs to honour the teachers with district and state level awards for their lifelong dedication to their profession as teachers and nation builders.
The teaching profession is different from any other job. A teacher has to constantly give shape to the lives of the young students; to prepare them to become worthy next generation citizens; citizens who would shoulder the responsibilities to run the nation in future. A teacher has students occupying chairs of responsibility right from the highest to the lowest position. All such people owe their success to their teachers and no one can deny that.
Most of the other states of India have recognised their teachers’ contribution by providing them with befitting remuneration and old-age security in the form of pension.
In 1987, the PA Sangma ministry which had sanctioned the present pay scale of the Deficit School teachers had assured to provide pension etc., in the next pay commission. After 1987, many more pay commissions have passed but none of the consecutive ministry could do justice to the woes of the Deficit School teachers by granting them pension for a dignified retired life.
I hereby appeal to our honourable Governor, Chief Minister, all the Cabinet ministers, all the MLAs and the other concerned fraternities to do justice to the Deficit School teachers of Meghalaya by providing them old-age security in this Golden Jubilee year of our statehood.
We must not forget that Right to Education is a primary need of each and every child and Right to Old-age security is a primary need of every teacher. It remains a great irony for teachers to kindle the light of a bright future for their pupils while they dread the dark and gloomy future of their own as they approach their retirement without pension.
On the occasion of Teachers Day this year, I convey my best wishes to the students, in-service teachers and fellow retired teachers of Meghalaya for a safe year ahead in such trying times of the Covid pandemic.
Yours etc.,
Reeta Ghosh (retd.) National Awardee Teacher,
& Vice Principal Laban Bengalee Boys Higher Secondary School,
Shillong
School teachers underpaid, overworked
Editor,
Another Teacher’s Day passes and this time on a Sunday. Teachers are the worst paid lot in India and private schools pay even worse. A time has come to rationalise the pay of all school, college and university teachers. It is ironic that while the future of each child is built in their formative years spent in pre-primary and primary school the salaries of this group of teachers is the worst when compared to college and university teachers who actually don’t need to put in as much effort as teachers of small kids do. It is a very unfair proposition. Many time teachers have had to come out of their classrooms to demand their just dues. This is simply not acceptable if we want teachers to provide quality education to our children.
Where teachers and nurses are the worst paid professions the outcome too will be likewise. These are the two professions that are very much respected abroad and teachers and nurses are paid very well. In India on the contrary bureaucrats, irrespective of their performance get a bulky pay packet. Some bureaucrats have worked for over two decades without being able to show any efficacy. In fact, if we care to look into the failure of the Government the reason is not always politicians. Bureaucrats sit on files and tie them with the red tape of delay and needless questioning. Even with the Education Department it is the bureaucrats who advise the minister on what decisions should be taken vis-à-vis the teachers salaries. In any case there are too many category of teachers in Meghalaya. The time has come to standardise all teachers as pre-primary, primary, middle school, high school and higher secondary school and their pay should be fixed accordingly. To do this requires thinking but no minister wants to disturb the hornet’s nest. They prefer to leave things as they are knowing that teachers cannot do anything other than to protest and they cannot carry on with their agitation for too long a time.
It is also high time to evaluate teachers and to fix their increment according to their performance. Unless this is done we will have mediocre individuals taking up a teaching “job” for want of anything better.
Yours etc.,
MK Kharnaior,
Via email
Khelo India sees differently-abled win laurels
Editor,
India’s Para-athletes put up sparkling performance at Tokyo Paralympics finishing 24th in the overall medal tally winning 19 medals, thereby far surpassing the Tokyo Olympics contingent’s tally of seven. When the 2020 Olympics ended, nobody expected that the high performance at the Olympics would go higher with the spectacular performance of India’s Para-athletes.
The world’s biggest sporting event for the disabled saw India excel than before. With five gold, eight silver and six bronze medals, our Para-athletes have demonstrated their sporting skills and expertise and proved that they have spirit and enthusiasm despite their physical deformities. It was a record-breaking campaign for India at the Paralympics. It must be noted that since making its first appearance at the Paralympics in 1968, India had won 12 medals in total till the 2016 Rio edition. It has now significantly improved upon that number by 7 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 alone. It is a matter of pride that a bunch of indomitable Para-athletes have substantially increased the medal tally, outperforming their colleagues in the 2020 Olympics.
It must be admitted that the “Khelo India” scheme launched by the government in 2017 had provisions for promoting sports among disabled sportspersons. Although there are drawbacks in the scheme, differently-abled sportspersons have more access to more special facilities and coaching than before. More support from the private sector is required for the promotion of sports among the disabled. What makes the achievements of our Para-athletes so special is that they put up brilliant performances in spite of the hurdles in their path. Although there are millions of disabled people in India, there is a lack of proper public facilities for them. They must not be deprived of their rights.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam