Shillong: Deficit school teachers in Meghalaya are distancing themselves from officials defending Education Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri. While other groups support the commissioner, the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers Association claims Mantri has caused severe damage to the state education system. The group publicly challenged Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui for his vocal support of the official.
KJDSTA president Boswell Pala criticized the minister for praising Mantri while ignoring long-standing grievances. These include stalled progress on the Contributory Provident Fund, the National Pension System, and unpaid dearness allowances. The association also cited confusion surrounding the Structured Pay Framework. Boswell Pala told reporters: "We belong to a group that has been hurt and harmed a lot."
Pala specifically challenged the handling of the Board of Trustees meeting on March 16. He alleged the board was reconstituted without proper teacher representation. Members from non-deficit bodies were included instead. Teachers only received notice of the meeting after it concluded. This preceded the notification of the Meghalaya Non-Government School and College Employees Centralised Provident Fund Scheme 2026.
The association further condemned the CM Impact guidebook. They fear it prioritizes rote learning over actual conceptual understanding. Additionally, the group pointed to numerous unfilled teaching vacancies across the state. Pala warned that the August 19 notification regarding the Structured Pay Framework threatens to eliminate established deficit and government teaching posts. While current staff members remain safe, he argued that abolishing these positions ruins future career opportunities and degrades overall school quality.
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