Shillong,Oct 27: The government will file a review petition in the Supreme Court against making the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) mandatory for all in-service teachers, regardless of their length of service.
The apex court passed the compulsory test order on September 1 this year.
Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui told reporters that the government contends that the judgment has a retrospective effect and that they want the court to exempt teachers appointed before the Right to Education (RTE) Act came into effect.
Over 32,000 teachers will be affected by the judgment as they have to clear the exam within 2 years.
Action plan on edu panel awaited
The state’s education department is yet to finalise an action plan for implementing the recommendations of the Meghalaya State Education Commission (MSEC).
Rymbui said the exercise is still ongoing and has not been completed.
The department is still studying the recommendations, and there are some issues that need to be addressed.
“It will take some time to come up with a concrete plan,” Rymbui said.
The government will prioritise implementing recommendations that are easy to execute, while those requiring consultation with stakeholders will take longer to implement.
Rymbui said the education sector involves multiple organisations and stakeholders, so the government needs to involve everyone in the decision-making process.
The minister did not provide a specific timeframe for finalising the action plan by saying that it will depend on the nature of the recommendations and the need for stakeholders’ consultations.
The state government is set to introduce a structured pay system for teachers in the state by December this year, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui announced on Monday.
Structured pay system
Regarding the status of the proposed taking over 3,332 SSA schools, which have submitted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to hand over their management to the state government, Rymbui said that the chief minister has accepted the demand for a structured pay system, and the government is working out the modalities to implement it.
To a question, he said the government plans to streamline the education system, with only two structures of schools – government and government-aided, besides private schools.
