Ad hoc school teachers under the banner of Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) will stage a protest in front of the main secretariat here from January 17 to put pressure on the State government to concede to their demands.
FASTOM is demanding for upgradation of all ad hoc schools in the State to deficit system.
“We have been asking the State government from time to time to call us for talks on our demands but all our pleas fell on deaf ears. Therefore, we have decided to hold a demonstration in front of the main secretariat on January 17 from 11 am to 4 pm,” FASTOM president Kenneth Shadap said today.
He also said that in view of the Covid situation in the State, only four leaders of FASTOM will take part in the protest.
Shadap also said that ad hoc school teachers will stage a black flag protest on January 21 which is also a day when Meghalaya will celebrate its 50 years of statehood.
“If the government remains adamant, we will announce our next round of agitation,” he said, adding the agitations are within the purview of the Constitution as per Article 19.
Shadap also said that FASTOM had sent a letter to Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on January 11 requesting him to call the teachers’ body for talks on the demand by this month.
Slamming the State government for not calling FASTOM for talks, Shadap asked, “What is the problem for the government to hold talks with us? We have sent many letters to the government to call us for talks but there was no response at all.”
He also said that the upcoming golden jubilee celebration of Meghalaya statehood instead of being a day of pride for teachers has become a celebration of the trampling of the rights of people especially the teaching community.
Shadap mentioned that Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale had urged Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to consider the demand of FASTOM for upgradation of ad hoc schools to the deficit system.
Athawale sent a letter to Sangma on December 23, 2021 following a memorandum sent by FASTOM to the union minister on December 22, 2021.
Shadap said that despite the letter sent by Athawale, the State government was keeping quiet on the demand by the teachers’ body.
The FASTOM president said that since 2016 till date, the State government has not enhanced the salary of ad hoc school teachers who continued to draw meager salaries and were not entitled for medical reimbursement.
He also said that ad hoc school teachers should be paid the same amount of salary as paid to deficit school teachers since the work they perform and the responsibility they take is similar.
Shadap said that FASTOM also wanted the State government to pay the salary of Hindi teachers at the same amount paid to assistant teachers and to enhance the salary of mid day meal cooks from the existing amount of Rs 1000.
He also demanded an increase of the salary of mid day meal cooks from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000 as was done to mid day meal cooks in SSA schools.
