Ad hoc school teachers under the banner of the Federation of All School Teachers of Meghalaya (FASTOM) can no longer tolerate the delay tactics of the state government to realise their demands.
Speaking to Highland Post, D Marwein, the FASTOM vice-president, said that ad hoc teachers have not received a pay hike since 2016 and can no longer bear the delay tactics of the government. They want a uniform increment of Rs 18,000 for all categories of teachers.
The main goal of FASTOM continues to remain the demand for upgrading all ad hoc schools in Meghalaya to the deficit system or, at least, deficit pattern. However, Marwein said that since the government is currently saying that it is facing a financial crunch, it should first give the uniform grant of Rs 18,000 to all categories of ad hoc teachers, right from lower primary to the higher secondary levels.
“We want the uniform grant and not percentage-wise because the percentage system results in widegap and with the ever skyrocketing prices of the essential commodities we cannot even meet the minimum requirement of the family,” he said, adding that while the ad hoc teachers impart quality education to the children they do not have enough to support for the higher studies for their own children.
He said that the government should understand that for the same duties, responsibilities, and qualifications as the deficit teachers, the Adhoc teachers in the state cannot be undermined.
“We don’t want our agitation to affect the SSLC and HSSLC examination and results and we don’t want the students and the parents to suffer in the process. But the state government should also understand the ad hoc teachers’ plight and their contribution to the entire state,” he said.
Informing that for the uniform grant of Rs 18,000, the government will have to incur additional expenditure of approximately Rs 13 crore per month and Rs 156 crore per annum, he said, “We have consulted experts who said that if the government has the political will there is no difficulty at all to meet our demands.”
Meanwhile, FASTOM will hold a public meeting in the city on Monday at Khasi National Dorbar Hall in Mawkhar from 11am.
