SHILLONG, April 26: Education Minister Lakhmen Rymbui on Tuesday said he is always ready for discussions with the ad hoc teachers while voicing concern over the toll their agitation is taking on school-going children.
The ad hoc teachers have started a non-cooperation movement demanding a salary hike and annual increment.
Rymbui said the government such agitations affect the children. “I have sought a report from the district school education officers on the impact of the agitation on the schools and the students,” he said.
Reiterating that it is not easy to undertake the process of enhancing grants or salaries of the teachers, he said the government has to ensure any decision taken by the department concerned does affect other sectors.
“The duty of the government is not only to pay salary but also to see that other sectors are not impacted by our decisions,” Rymbui said.
He said that besides the capping of the salary of the SSA teachers, the Centre has from the current financial year decided to reduce its share by 5% till 2025.
“If the Centre really implements this, the state government will have to bear the burden of the SSA teachers,” he said, assuring that the government will take a conscious decision on the issue of the ad hoc teachers.
Asking the agitating teachers to trust the government, Rymbui said the government has to maintain the balance for all sectors to function properly.
He also said about 600 schools in the state have applied for grants and the government has to find out ways to keep them afloat. He cited the example of the Ranikor block that needs government intervention for its only one higher school.