Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teacher’s Association Rejects State Education Policy

A Correspondent

Shillong: The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teacher’s Association (KJDSTA) has disapproved of the Meghalaya Education Policy debarring teachers from taking part in politics.

“The attempt of the state government to bar teachers especially the Deficit School Teachers from politics stems out from the fact that a few politicians are against a few teachers who are their political opponents,” KJDSTA president Babu Kular Khongjirem said on Sunday. According to Khongjirem, the Education Policy is only a guiding principle to transform the education system in the state. “The Education Policy is not an act which bars schools and its teachers to take part in politics and also not to take action against them,” the KJDSTA president said.

According to him, the Education Policy 2018, in its notification has clearly mentioned that students should be educated so that they are employable and also that they be part of democratic participation.

Khongjirem also pointed out that there are many sections in the Education Policy which the government needs to immediately implement like the RTE Act 2009, so that children under 14 years of age are given free education to relief their parents from paying school fees and from buying books. He also stated that it has been clearly mentioned in the policy that the government should provide schools and also other infrastructures so that standard of education in the state improves. “But what is surprising is that the government instead of focusing on the important points of the policy is more intend to implement section 3.5.24 of the Education policy which is to trample on the rights of the teachers (to bar them from politics),” Khongjirem pointed out.

The KJSTA president stated that the state government is partial when it is debarring deficit school teachers from participating in politics

He pointed out that the university teachers can take part in politics in Colleges too those holding UGC and college posts can take part in politics. But deficit college and school teacher are not allowed.

Khongjirem pointed out that this is unfair and that the state government should rethink on its proposal. The KJDSTA president also pointed out that the salary of the teachers of the state are irregular, they do not get pension benefits and also are not entitled to medical reimbursements, also there are no promotion avenues and over and above that the government is not allowing teachers to take up any other jobs along with teaching as well as debarring them from taking part in politics.

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