Shillong, April 12: The capital city of Meghalaya today witnessed twin protests by school teachers who burnt effigies of chief minister Mukul Sangma for the state government's failure to fulfil their demands to enhance salary and recognise Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers without any classification.
Thousands of teachers, under the Joint Action Committee of All Teachers' Association of Meghalaya (Jacatam) and the Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA), held the protests at two separate venues here.
Representatives of Jacatam organised a protest near Raj Bhavan, demanding 100 per cent enhancement of salary for ad hoc lower primary and upper primary teachersbesides Hindi teachers.
Teachers of the SSA-sponsored schools under the banner of the MSSASA brought their children to the protest rally at a parking lot near additional secretariat here. Later, the SSA teachers burnt an effigy of Sangma. They also criticised minister for school education and literacy Deborah C. Marak.
The MSSASA demanded enhancement of salary for 1,521 "fourth teachers" in SSA schools which has been pending since 2013, release of revised pay for 12,481 SSA teachers and arrears with effect from April 2016 and declaration of a complete result of the training for teachers in diploma in elementary education for the 2013-14 batch conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling.
Each SSA school has at least four teachers. But the salary of the teacher recruited last is always less compared to others. Since those particular teachers in SSA schools are getting only Rs 6,000, the MSSASA demanded that their salary be raised and all SSA teachers be recognised without any classification.
The HRD ministry's project approval board last year had approved the revised pay of SSA teachers in lower primary and upper primary schools at Rs 19,044 and Rs 20,493 respectively.
However, according to Right to Education Act and the National Council for Teachers' Education's norms, only trained teachers are eligible.
An order was issued by the state mission director (SSA) on October 31, 2016, which stated that for unqualified teachers, the monthly salary will be Rs 13,335 and Rs 14,392 for lower primary and upper primary schools respectively.
The two teachers' associations threatened to intensify their agitation from next week if the state government paid no heed to their demands.
Condemning the government, MSSASA president A.C. Rymbai said since the state government has failed to meet their demands, teachers in over 5,000 SSA schools across the state have called for an indefinite strike from April 18.
Jacatam chairman E.D. Nongsiang said Sangma had promised last year that the salary of teachers in ad hoc lower and upper primary schools would be enhanced. He said Sangma had assured that on the floor of the House during the recent budget session of the Assembly.
"Since August 4 last year, we have waited for about eight months now for the state cabinet's approval, but no action has been taken till date. We demand that the hike in salary for ad hoc lower and upper primary school teachers should be with effect from September 2016," Nongsiang said.
Jacatam has supported the demands of the SSA teachers.
Nongsiang said at present, ad hoc lower and upper primary teachers, including head teachers, are getting salaries of Rs 6,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,000 (head teacher) respectively and demanded a 100 per cent hike.
Jacatam has also asked the government to increase the salary of Hindi teachers from Rs 3,500 to over Rs 10,000 a month. "We demand that the salary of teachers be enhanced 100 per cent. Most of these teachers have been teaching for over 30 years, but drawing a meagre salary till today," Jacatam general secretary Kenneth Shadap said.
