Appointment of SSA teachers on contractual basis against guidelines: MSSASA

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 22, 2020

The Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA) has expressed concern over the state government’s adamant attitude to regularise the services of the SSA teachers in the state.

“A total of 12541 elementary teachers recruited under budget head of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and teaching in 2907 lower primary and 2232 upper primary schools across the state are being deprived and neglected of their  rights and benefits as notify in the RTE Act 2009,” MSSASA president Aristotle C Rymbai said in a statement issued here on Thursday. 

He said the association has requested the state government to take note of the issues through several representations and meetings. “But it is very sad to see that there is no positive response from the state government,” Rymbai said.

The MSSASA president said the recruitment and appointment of teachers on contractual basis since the implementation of the SSA flagship programme instead of recruited on permanent basis is against the framework and guidelines of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. 

He said the Government of India has clear cut norms under SSA and RMSA wherein State/Union Territories are given financial support of salary of teachers with a condition these posts of teachers shall be created in States/Union Territories Education Department on regular basis with same salary and service conditions as of State budget teachers.

“But in our state, it is found that state government committed a mistake and allowed creation of teacher posts sanctioned under state Implementation Society known as State Education Mission Authority Meghalaya (SEMAM) on contractual basis instead of recruiting in Department of School Education and Literacy on regular basis for whom different service arrangement have been spelt out and the 12541 SSA teachers appointed, was posted only in SSA supported Schools across the state,” Rymbai stated. 

He also referred to the letter issued by D.K Gautam, Dy. Secretary MHRD, DSE&L, Govt of India on February 22, 2008 to the Education Secretary of all States and Union Territories, that mentioned very clear that the teacher recruitment under SSA will be as per state governments’ norms. 

In addition to this, he said as per State Rules under RTE Act, 2009, it is inferred that the teachers recruited and appointed for implementing the provision of RTE Act shall have pay and allowance at par with regular teachers.

“But in our state, the 5814 primary teachers and 6727 upper primary teachers working under SSA are separated from regular teachers of state,” he said.

He said Sub – Rule (1) of Rule 18 of State RTE Rules, 2011, states that “the State Government or the local authority, shall notify terms and conditions of service and salary and allowances of teachers in order to create a professional and permanent cadre of teachers”. In connection to this, the SSA Change in certain SSA Norms vide their Notification F.No.2-37/2012-EE.3 dated 1.1.2014 in which it is clearly stated that ‘Additional teachers will be provided as per RTE Norms to all Government and local body schools”.

It is further clarified that SSA is not seperated but aligned with RTE and all norms of SSA have became norms of RTE and norms of RTE Act became applicable to SSA including provisioning of teachers.

He said Para 1.5 of SSA Framework for Implementation base on RTE Act 2009). SSA Framework of implementation’s Revised Norms clearly say that “state should maintain a unified teaching cadre and no separate SSA cadre is permissible as all teachers are  ultimately to be borne by the State/ UT’s government”. 

This clearly indicates that all posts have to be borne by the State and should be engaged with permanent and professional teachers belonging to a unified cadre, he added