Shillong, Sep 12: There is no question of the state government halting the funding to deficit pattern schools, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma said in the Assembly today, which should alleviate some concern of teachers of such schools.
Opposition legislator for Nongkrem Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit asked whether the government will continue to give salary support to deficit schools in future or if there is a plan to stop providing financial support.
Sangma replied that the question of stopping funding of deficit schools to pay salaries does not arise. However, he said that there are demands from certain deficit schools for provincialisation, while others want the deficit system to continue.
Teachers have been opposed to the Meghalaya Education Grant (MEG), which is the state government’s initiative to unify teachers in a single system, thereby phasing out the deficit system.
Basaiawmoit informed the house that he was told by many school heads that the government has asked the schools to provincialise or else cease to get state grants.
The Nongkrem MLA pointed out that only few are willing to be provincialised while the majority are not.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma then stated that the government’s intention is not to disturb anybody, adding, “…we would want the status quo to continue. But from different schools different demands keep coming to us. It is a complicated situation for us to come out with one solution that will fit everybody.”
According to him there are some schools who are willing to come under the government but also others that want the deficit pattern to continue.
“As a government we believe in dialogue and consultation and this is exactly what we are doing right now. When we go for discussion we have to go to the parties with some option and in this instance we are going with the MEG for feedback and information from the schools,” the CM said.
Sangma stated that education can be streamlined and be beneficial to all stakeholders if there are fewer categories of schools. “But in the complexity of the education sector it is not an easy task and therefore the reforms are done one by one. We have no intention to bulldoze and stop the deficit system,” he concluded.
