SHILLONG, Oct 20: As many as 800 contractual teachers, who lost their jobs in January, 2021, have been running from pillar to post seeking reinstatement but the government has been unable to give any commitment to them except for mere ‘lip service’.
The Meghalaya Government Lower Primary School Contractual Teachers’ Association (MGLPSCTA) on Thursday met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday with high hopes only to return disappointed.
MGLPSCTA president Birbor Riangtem was distraught after the meeting. Tynsong told the teachers that he would raise their matter in the next Cabinet meeting and also assured to meet them after November 20. Tynsong, however, did not give any commitment on addressing their demands.
Riangtem said they had high hopes the deputy CM would help the contractual teachers the same way he had helped the SSA and ad hoc teachers. Explaining how termination of the LP teachers has affected them, Riangtem cited the case of his own school which had four teachers. After he was sacked and another teacher retired, only two teachers are left to attend to over 100 students.
“Such a situation will affect the education scenario and this is why we are scoring lower rankings in education surveys,” he pointed out.
He also cited the case of a teacher from Jaintia Hills who was suffering from depression and had to be admitted at SANKER.