Govt examining merging or shifting of existing teachers posts

Aristotle C RymbaiSeptember 19, 2019

JOWAI: State Government examine the proposal for ” Merging/Shifting of all existing posts (12541) Elementary Education Teachers working under budget head of Samagra Shiksha erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to State Education Department on regular basis as per mandatory norms of SSA-RTE 2009 and Streamline the existing categories of schools “

While responding to the representation submitted by the Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA), Central Body to the State Government through the State Project Director, SEMAM (SSA) on April 16, which is a reminder to the long pending demand of the Association on the agenda of ” Merging/Shifting of all existing posts (12541) Elementary Education Teachers working under budget head of Samagra Shiksha erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to State Education Department on regular basis as per mandatory norms of SSA-RTE 2009 and Streamline the existing categories of schools.

ACH Marak, State Project Director, SEMAM (SSA) in a letter sent to the Special Officer to the Government of Meghalaya, Education Department on September 11, 2019 with a copy forwarded to the Association inform that the matter is under examination at Government level.

It may be mention, the state government  has different appointing authority and procedure of selection of teacher position borne on state budget and that borne under SSA. State budget teachers are appointed by Directorate of School Education & Literacy (DSE&L) under Education Department on regular basis whereas, SSA teachers (additional teachers to maintain PTR as per RTE norms) appointed by School Management Committee (SMC) with prior approval of the State Project Director Office on contractual basis for whom different service arrangement have been spelt out.

That, since the inception of SSA in 2001 after inclusion of Article 21-A in the Constitution, the posts of Primary and Upper Primary teacher has been sanctioned as per Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) to States/UTs in various Project Approval meetings with the conditions that these posts would be filled by State/UTs Education Department with same salary and service conditions as of other regular teachers of the respective Education department of State/UTs.

Time and again, the Under Secretary to the Govt. of India Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education & Literacy in every sanction order for release of funds of Govt of India share under SSA sent  to the Account Officer MHRD Department of School Education & Literacy, which a copy forwarded to the SPD, SEMAM(SSA) and to the Chief Secretary , Government of Meghalaya etc, clearly stated “No permanent posts shall be created under the SSA funds. Teacher Posts shall be created by the State Government even where such posts are supported by SSA funding. Project positions for SSA implementation would be temporary, up to the duration of the project only”.

Further, Manjit Kumar, Under Secretary to the Govt of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Department of School Education & Literacy on February 3, 2017 sent a letter to the Principal Secretary Education, Government of Meghalaya and instructed the State Government to look into the matter and to solve the demands made by the MSSASA and to furnish a report to the Ministry , as 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 that  these posts of teachers shall be created in States/Union Territories  Education Departments on regular basis with same salary and service conditions as of State budget teachers.

MHRD, Govt of India, in the Project Approval Board (PAB) Minutes 2019-20, in respect of Samagra Shiksha , for the State of Meghalaya in a copy sent to the  Principal Secretary Education Department Government of Meghalaya on July 8, 2019, Rina Ray Secretary, MHRD, Govt of India talked about “No Dual Cadre of teachers” and give direction to the State of Meghalaya to re-look at the recruitment of teacher posts under SSA and rationalize deployment of teachers as all teachers are the responsibility of the state government and only financial support for additional teacher salary would be provided under the Samagra Shiksha.