By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 10: Government schools engaging proxy teachers will be dealt with firmly, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said on Wednesday.
He said the state government cannot allow these schools, mostly lower primary, to run with proxy teachers.
“We will make sure our officers inspect such institutions and ensure every teacher is on the job. If the department receives any complaints with substantial evidence, the government will take necessary action,” he said.
Requesting the teachers to not let the quality of teaching be decided by the salary drawn but by commitment and responsibility, he said: “If you neglect your duties, you are destroying the future of your children and your community. We request the teachers across the state to shoulder the responsibility to provide quality education and produce quality individuals and leaders.”
He advised teachers who might have lost interest in teaching to go for VRS and pursue whatever they were interested in.
He did not specify the districts where the problem of proxy teachers is most acute. “This may be happening in all the districts,” he said.
Sangma, however, said the deputy commissioners and the district officers of the Education Department have been instructed to ensure such things do not happen.
Recalling how Shillong was once an education hub of the North East, he said, “I think Meghalaya can be one of the top education centres of the country.”
He said the government is facing challenges from primary to higher education but there is always room for improvement.
“The quality of education and the quality of teaching in the state need to be upgraded,” Sangma said.