Shillong: The Meghalaya College Teachers’ Association is backing the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association in an indefinite strike. The walkout begins November 11, 2026. Educators are fed up. They demand action on the Centralised Provident Fund, the National Pension Scheme, and the immediate withdrawal of the 2026 Scheme.
Teachers also want the 2023 Scheme implemented and an end to salary and Dearness Allowance delays. They are protesting the non-advertisement of deficit posts and the ongoing uncertainty regarding the Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme. The MCTA claims these issues threaten the financial security and dignity of staff.
The MCTA issued a firm statement on Tuesday regarding the crisis. "Assurances alone were no longer sufficient," the union said. They are demanding policy clarity and a time-bound commitment from the government. The association argues that teachers cannot do their jobs well when their professional futures remain in doubt.
The union also reached out to the public. They asked school managements, parents, and citizens to support the agitation. They maintain that a respected teaching fraternity stays vital to the quality of education in Meghalaya. State authorities must now move past empty promises and start a real dialogue.
Updated at 12th November 2026 at 12:30am
The strike officially kicked off Wednesday after the Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers' Association (KJDSTA) rejected a last-minute communication from the Education Department. KJDSTA president Boswell Pala dismissed the document, which arrived via WhatsApp on Tuesday night, as a repurposed version of an October 8 letter that ignored their core requirements.
Pala slammed the government for offering vague promises on salary arrears and Dearness Allowance, noting officials had already missed previous deadlines following the Puja holidays. The union specifically pushed back against proposed changes to the Centralised Provident Fund, arguing the state is trying to circumvent the 1969 Act and existing court-mandated frameworks. Pala further claimed the department is ignoring bylaws governing the Board of Trustees and blocking school appointments despite valid selection processes.
Addressing the government's request to keep classrooms open during the final stretch of the academic year, Pala put the onus squarely on the state: "We are not asking for anything extra. We are only demanding what is rightfully due to us." The union leader also warned that the administration is pressuring School Managing Committees to keep schools running, though he hopes those groups will side with the protesting staff.
Updated at 12th November 2026 at 9:47am
Protests hit hard on Wednesday with teaching coming to a halt in several zones. Agitating educators gathered at sites including Assamese Secondary School in Laitumkhrah, Pomlum, the MUDA Complex in Nongpoh, Assam Club in Laban, the New Age Welfare Society at Jail Road, Mawlai Iewrynghep, and across Jowai. Students were left idling in schoolyards without instruction.
Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui fired back, pleading for an end to the classroom boycott. Rymbui claimed the government is not acting arbitrarily and pointed to a meeting held last week with the Commissioner and Secretary as evidence of ongoing engagement. Regarding the pay delays, he blamed a recent revision of the Head of Account that hit state employees across the board, promising the department is working to clear the backlog.
The battle over the Centralised Provident Fund has also sharpened. KJDSTA members are demanding the restoration of the original Board of Trustees and are rejecting government attempts to return funds to individual accounts. Teachers noted they already moved their savings to the fund at SBI Laitumkhrah under the 2023 agreement.
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