Shillong, September 18: Meghalaya College Teachers Association (MCTA) president S.K. Pradhan on Friday said teachers in the State may once again be forced to take to the streets to press for their demands, while extending support to deficit school teachers in any future agitation.
Speaking to the media, Pradhan said college teachers would stand in solidarity with deficit school teachers if they decide to launch protests over their pending grievances. Referring to the Structured Pay Framework, which was withdrawn through an order issued by Governor C.H. Vijayashankar on September 17, Pradhan questioned the manner in which the notification had been drafted. He claimed that the notification appeared to have been prepared by the State Law Department rather than the Education Department.
The MCTA president also raised concerns over what he described as improper implementation of the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme under the National Education Policy. Pradhan said such shortcomings could affect the future of students in Meghalaya and also highlighted the continued existence of vacant teaching posts in colleges across the State.
Meanwhile, MCTA executive member Dr David Farel Marbaniang criticised the Education Department over the introduction of the Structured Pay Framework. He alleged that the framework could eventually pave the way for the withdrawal of the Deficit Grant-in-Aid system currently extended to existing deficit schools and colleges. Marbaniang further claimed that deficit college teachers receive only Basic Pay and Dearness Allowance, unlike government employees who are entitled to a broader range of service benefits.
Criticising the government’s approach towards deficit teachers, he said it appeared to ignore their basic needs and long-term welfare, including healthcare, housing and financial security after retirement.
