SHILLONG:
As part of their non-cooperation movement against the government’s failure to fulfill their demands, ad hoc teachers in the state have boycotted the evaluation of Class X and Class XII board examination answer scripts.
“We have boycotted evaluation duties since April 23,” Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) spokesperson Mayborn Lyngdoh said.
Lyngdoh also informed that Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) has reportedly called in private teachers who can help in evaluating the answer scripts.
“There are rumours doing the rounds that the government is seeking private school teachers for evaluation, as the experienced ad hoc teachers are on a non-cooperation movement. This move by the government can put the future of the students at risk,” the FASTOM spokesperson said.
Lyngdoh also said that if this was true, it would expose that the government would prefer to be adamant and risk the future of students rather than solving the issue of teachers for the greater good of everyone.
There are a total of 7670 ad hoc teachers in the state of whom 1116 are in the lower primary, 3376 in upper primary, 2164 in secondary, 388 science teachers, 192 Hindi teachers and 434 secondary school teachers.
It may be mentioned that on April 22, thousands of ad hoc teachers from all over Meghalaya under the banner of FASTOM staged a protest march in the city.
Later the meeting with the Education department officials was inconclusive.
According to the agitating teachers they got a “half-hearted” assurance from the government on their demands.
Since 2019 the Federation has been pursuing its demands for upgradation of all ad hoc school teachers to deficit system or deficit pattern.
However, in November 2021 when the government clearly stated that it has no plan to upgrade the school teachers, the FASTOM was compelled to make another proposal in the form of uniform enhancement of Rs 18,000 per teacher, irrespective of the category they belong to.
This proposal of uniform enhancement also includes a 5 per cent increment every year.