By Biplab Kr Dey
TURA, Nov 8: What can be more ironic than the fact that a state that wants to project itself as a destination for education actually has thousands of vacancies in all levels of school education with the primary section being the worst hit? What is more baffling is the fact that the Education Ministry and by its continuation, the Education department does not even have a clue on the number of schools without teachers or the number of students affected.
“This is the most surprising part of the entire process. When education was brought up in the last Assembly session, the department, as if to hide its incompetence actually gave numbers that were baffling to say the least. This was either an attempt to fool the people or an attempt to save face,” felt Resubelpara-based social activist from Wilness Marak.
So how did a state that had an active education system, broken in many parts, come to this.
Let’s take a look at what really happened.
As per sources, on a yearly basis, at least 400 vacancies come up every year in the Education department due to people retiring, resigning or even deaths. However recruitment to these posts of the past few years has come to a complete stop leading to a crisis of teachers.
The crisis of teachers would not have occurred if the government had not unilaterally taken a decision to do away with the contractual teacher system without a backup plan in place to ensure education of students was not hampered.
“This decision has been a game-changer for education especially in the rural belt. It has created a void that has left many children without an education for close to three years now. It seems no amount of persuasion can move the government to ensure teachers are placed on a priority basis in schools that are without teachers,” social activist Maxbirth G Momin said.
According to a highly placed official in the Education department in Garo Hills, sensing the impact the lack of teachers was having on education on children, a letter seeking permission to appoint contractual teachers until permanent ones were appointed was sent by all the districts. However they were asked to keep the same in abeyance.
“Following reports and our own investigation into the lack of teachers in our district, we had recommended that contractual teachers be appointed until the government could work out a roster system as required by the High Court for appointment. However the answer came in the negative from the department heads,” informed the official on condition of anonymity.
Ground investigations in just the district of East Garo Hills (EGH) showed that there were at least 11 schools without a single teacher in Rongjeng (three schools), Samanda (four) and Songsak (four). This, many activists feel is just the tip of the iceberg.
“There are thousands in just these few schools whose education has literally been cut off since the past 2-3 years. Most of these places are so remote that if their local school does not function, parents are unable to send them to nearby schools due to the distance between the two places,” stated social activist from Rongjeng, Tuesbrial Marak.
In one school in the village of Koknal Imong, both the LP school and the UP were completely affected as there is not a single teacher since the past 3 years in the LP section. While the ME school did have teachers, there was no one passing the LP section without teachers to get promoted to the UP section.
As per the office of the SDSEO, there were at least 58 vacancies in the district of EGH, 57 in the LP section and one in the UP section.
In South Garo Hills, the numbers are even more disturbing. Latest reports from the district place the number of vacancies in the LP section at over 150 while at least 20 schools have been without teachers since the past 2-3 years.
“The number of schools without teachers has increased in our district after the retirement of two more teachers. The total number currently stands at 18 from 16 earlier. Further we have teaching vacancies of 123 in the district. There are currently 282 schools in SGH served by 502 teachers. Once recruitment is completed, the number will increase to 625,” informed a source from the SGH Education department.
In NGH, the total number of only government LP schools was more than 240 with the total vacancy in the LP school section apparently more than 80.
Upon being contacted the SDSEO of SWGH informed that currently there was no school without a teacher in the district. However she informed that there were at least 30 vacancies in the LP section. She however could not give exact figures as she was travelling.
Many believe that the numbers provided during the last Assembly session on the number of schools without teachers in the state was without verification. While the department provided the names of some 30 schools, it seemed incredulous at the time – a fact pointed out by Salmanpara MLA Winnerson Sangma.
“The children for the past 2 years have been without any education in at least 16 villages. The worst impacted is the LP section which is supposed to be the root for education. I am without words to understand as to how a government can play with the lives of its most vulnerable residents in this manner. These people have no other means to an education,” stated social activist Greneth Sangma.
The Salmanpara MLA had, on the floor of the House, stated that there were at least two schools in his constituency without teachers. The numbers, many believe, would touch double digits in the district of South West Garo Hills (SWGH).
“There was an attempt to whitewash the figures by the various districts in the state. What is the point of doing so? People would know anyway and the department itself would look like a fool. Given the averages, there seems to be at least 70-80 schools without teachers since the past 2 years and that would account for close to 5,000 children without education. What a massive shame this is,” added Wilness.
Many that passed the Meghalaya Teachers’ Eligibility Test (MTET) from the year 2020 onwards have been placed in various schools across all districts. However as per sources from the Education department, the numbers are not enough to fill up all vacant posts in the state.
“Information is being taken from all districts though we expect the recruitment process to take time. The only option now would be to re-conduct the test once again so that these numbers are met. That decision however will lie with the department and the concerned ministry,” informed the source who once again wished to remain unnamed.
Given the situation, the education scenario is unlikely to change anytime soon as the numbers of teachers will not meet the requirement. However this raises a pertinent question. If the government and the department knew these facts what has stopped them from taking contingency action to cope with the lack of teachers?
“Were they sleeping through the entire situation and allowing it to escalate. This makes no sense. The Right to Education mandates education for all and that is a right enshrined in the Constitution. What they have done is in complete violation of the rights of these deprived students,” Maxbirth Momin said.
The state of teachers in the state is another story altogether. Every few months protests over non-payment of salaries have been doing regular rounds with the government seemingly clueless on the situation. Earlier SSA teachers had protested following months and months of neglect after which salaries were paid. However their pay seems to have come at the expense of ad-hoc teachers who have not been paid for at least three months now. Even government school teachers have not been paid for the month of October.
The state of Meghalaya has a gargantuan number of schools (about 14,000) and at least six strata that the government itself is responsible for. The entire situation has left the students and teachers in a conundrum, something that the state needs to work out fast.
“We have already completed 50 years of Statehood but that has not helped our education system in the least. We are still struggling with historical blunders that took place due to the lack of the political will to rectify the blunders. Can we really continue this way,” asked Wilness.