EDITORIAL | Meghalaya contractual teachers protest: Is it justifiable?
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK:
Contractual teachers in Meghalaya are protesting against the state government’s reported decision to end their contracts.
But is it the protest justifiable? Are they really in a position to question the government’s decision?
Most of the contractual teachers knew that if they wanted to keep their jobs, they had to pass the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) examination.
The examination in question was conducted in 2019, and most of them had failed to get through.
On January 5, one of the agitating teachers claimed that out of 1,200 contractual teachers who had appeared for the MTET examination, only 10 per cent got through - that’s exactly 120 teachers.
With the final decision still resting with the government, it will be interesting to see how the government responds to the requests made by the contractual teachers to allow them to sit for re-examinations as was done in 2017 when teachers, who had failed in the D.El.Ed and achieved 45 per cent in Class XII, were allowed to go through an enhancement test.
Teaching is one of the most important professions one could take up. A teacher must guide, nurture, and educate future generations - our children.
We have witnessed firsthand the decline in the quality of education in the state, and this calls for immediate remediation.
It is sad to see someone lose his or her job. But how can we allow someone who is not qualified to take up such an important position? It is why we have eligibility criteria for every profession.
We need to start with the quality of teaching if we are to improve the quality of education in the state, even if it means separating the wheat from the chaff.
As difficult as it is, we need to move forward and accept decisions that are in the best interest of the people of the state, especially if it involves the future generations.
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