Shillong, Nov 10: The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association (MCTA) has expressed its solidarity with the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) in its decision to launch an indefinite strike from November 11 in pursuit of its long-pending and legitimate demands.
The Association views the concerns raised by KJDSTA with grave concern, particularly those relating to the Centralised Provident Fund and National Pension Scheme, the implementation of the 2023 scheme and withdrawal of the 2026 scheme, the contributory provident fund, the non-advertisement of deficit posts, the uncertainty surrounding MACPS, and the continued delays in the disbursement of salaries and Dearness Allowance. These are serious matters that directly affect the professional dignity, financial security and service conditions of teachers and employees.
MCTA reiterated that the issues confronting deficit school teachers cannot be viewed in isolation from the larger challenges facing the deficit education sector in Meghalaya. The uncertainty surrounding retirement benefits, the lack of clarity in service-related provisions, and the continued delays in addressing legitimate grievances have created considerable anxiety and insecurity among teachers across the state, the MCYA said.
The Association said it consistently maintained that the protection of teachers’ rights and the security of their service conditions are indispensable to sustaining a stable and equitable education system. Teachers cannot be expected to discharge their responsibilities effectively while their own professional and financial futures remain uncertain.
MCTA callec upon the state government and the concerned authorities to take serious cognisance of the grievances raised by KJDSTA and initiate meaningful dialogue towards an early and satisfactory resolution. Assurances alone are no longer sufficient; what is required is concrete action, clarity in policy and a time-bound commitment to resolving the outstanding issues, it said.
At the same time, MCTA appeals to all stakeholders, including school managements, parents and members of the public, to understand the circumstances compelling teachers to resort to such measures. The agitation is not a rejection of the responsibilities of the teaching profession, but a struggle for justice, security and the protection of the very institutional framework within which teachers serve, the MCTA said.
According to MCTA, the teachers’ rights and students’ rights are not mutually exclusive; rather, they are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. A secure and respected teaching fraternity is fundamental to the delivery of quality education.
“The Association stands in solidarity with KJDSTA and hopes that the government will respond with the urgency and seriousness that this situation demands” said the general secretary,
Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association.
