Teachers deserve fair pay and respect for the work they do. That work includes building humans at a critical stage of their lives until they reach the age where they can make informed decisions. This is an arduous journey since every child in the classroom is unique and some children need more attention than others. Teaching is a full time pre-occupation. Perhaps the fall in educational outcomes is also because they no longer opt for teaching as it has become an untenable livelihood option in a world where inflation is rising uncontrollably. It would appear that in Meghalaya budgeting for education is somewhat skewed. There does not seem to be enough funds to support education. Yet education is the basis of a progressive society. We need the best brains that can use innovative teaching pedagogy to enter the teaching profession but that will happen only if teachers are adequately compensated for their efforts.
Teachers alone know how challenging it can be to educate children – from finding ways to make lessons engaging and informative, devising creative projects and exercises encouraging students’ participation in class, or dealing with difficult parents or administrative expectations. At the end of the day teachers are really stressed out. It’s no joke managing 40 odd students in a class with every child having specific needs. Only a state that lacks empathy would refuse to understand the need to compensate the teachers fairly for all that they do to mould young minds and nurture them to the point of becoming responsible adults capable of critical thinking.
Extensive research shows that competitive salaries for teachers can lead to improved educational outcomes. When teachers feel financially supported, they are more likely to stay in the profession and bring their best to the classroom. Higher pay can also attract highly qualified individuals to pursue teaching as a career, bringing fresh perspectives and expertise to the education system. One problem with Meghalaya is also rationalising the teacher-student ratio. There are schools in the outback of Garo Hills where teachers are appointed but there are no students or a measly five or ten students attend. Earlier we had teachers sub-letting their jobs while they took on some other lucrative professions. These have brought down educational standards and this happens in any profession which lacks supervision. Under the Assam Government, schools were regularly inspected and teachers were on their toes. Since Meghalaya was born education has not been given the attention it deserves because the politics of musical chairs occupied prime time. PA Sangma as Chief Minister ensured that a special educational cess was levied from minerals extracted and sold from the state. Since the coal trade has gone underground that cess has stopped coming in. Unless a proper needs assessment of the educational sector is carried out and a rationale is developed with a valid student -teacher ratio, education will continue to suffer and teachers will keep protesting for better salaries. It’s time to put in place a teacher evaluation system. Permanency of tenure can lead to stagnation.
