Shillong, September 5: The Khasi Jaintia District School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) has urged the Meghalaya Government to immediately fill all sanctioned teaching posts that have fallen vacant due to retirement, death, resignation or promotion, warning that replacing existing sanctioned posts with lower-paid positions under the Structured Pay Framework (SPF) could weaken the State’s education system.

KJDSTA president Boswell Pala said every vacant teaching post was more than an entry in a government file, describing it as “a classroom without a teacher” and students being deprived of adequate instruction.

The association alleged that through its recent notifications, the Government was attempting to abolish sanctioned teaching posts under the Deficit and Government school systems, many of which have existed for decades, and replace them with lower-paid SPF positions.

“If funds have been allocated annually for these sanctioned posts, where has that money gone?” Pala questioned.

The KJDSTA also sought clarity on the status, decisions and functioning of the Board of Trustees, stating that its policies have a direct bearing on teachers and other employees.

The association said it had already met senior officials of the Education Department, including the Commissioner and Secretary and the Education Minister, and submitted a memorandum outlining its concerns.

Recruitment Processes Already Underway

The association said several sanctioned Deficit posts had already been advertised and interviews completed, with only official approval of the selected candidates pending.

It added that advertisements had also been issued for several other sanctioned posts where interviews were yet to be conducted. Some posts, it said, had fallen vacant before August 19, 2026.

The KJDSTA maintained that such posts should not be affected by the Government’s notification or converted into SPF positions, as the recruitment processes had commenced before the notification was issued.

The association warned that abolishing sanctioned posts would weaken the Deficit School System, affect the quality of education and discourage young people from pursuing teaching as a profession.

It further alleged that the Government was taking advantage of unemployment among young people by engaging teachers on low salaries without adequate job security.

Not Opposed to SPF in Other Categories

The KJDSTA clarified that it was not opposed to the SPF being applied to other categories of posts and welcomed efforts to improve the salaries of employees covered by such arrangements.

However, it said it would not accept the abolition or downgrading of existing sanctioned Deficit teaching posts by bringing them under the SPF.

The association appealed to the public to support the teachers’ movement and demanded a written response from the Government on all issues raised, along with a definite timeframe for resolving them.