Shillong, Feb 18: The Meghalaya government is not appointing teachers in Lower Primary schools on adhoc/temporary basis as it planned to appoint only those who have passed the Meghalaya Teachers Eligibility Test (MTET).

This has resulted to some schools not able to function because teachers who were earlier appointed on adhoc/temporary basis have not reported in many schools.

Disturbed over the non functioning of Lower Primary schools due to non availability of teachers, Leader of Opposition, Dr Mukul Sangma on Tuesday wrote to Education Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui and sought his immediate intervention by filling up the respective vacancies of teachers post so that the academic session of the affected schools can resume immediately.

The former chief minister informed that he had spoken to the Director of Elementary and Mass Education and Literacy to find out the reason, and was surprised to know that there has been a direction by the state government that no appointment on adhoc basis/temporary basis should be done by the department to fill up the existing vacancies of teachers, since the government intends to fill up the vacancies only after the declaration of the MTET results.

“I am deeply disturbed to learn that lower primary schools in the state have become completely defunct due to non-appointment of teachers. I was informed by representatives of different school managing committees that till date the beginning of this academic year, no teachers have reported in many of the schools resulting in great confusion among the parents and the villagers as a whole,” Sangma said in the letter.

Sangma urged the state government to fill up the respective vacancies of post of teachers so that the academic session of the affected schools can resume immediately and sought Rymbui’s immediate attention and action into this matter as it relates to “our commitment and obligations and responsibilities thereof to fulfill the provision of Article 21A of the Constitution and the resultant legislation – RTE Act 2009 in the best interest of our children coming from poor and vulnerable families in particular, and all our beloved children and future generations in general.”