Shillong: Meghalaya’s college teachers are sounding the alarm. A massive shortage of staff and stalled career progress threaten to sink the state’s shift to the National Education Policy. The Meghalaya College Teachers Association met with Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Tuesday to demand immediate action.
Data from 10 colleges shows 41 teaching posts sit empty. These holes in the staff roster hit hard as the new Four-Year Undergraduate Programme demands more hands on deck. North-Eastern Hill University requirements for the fourth year remain unmet because the government has not created or filled the necessary roles.
Pay issues add to the mess. Over 70 teachers meet eligibility for promotions but remain stuck in their current roles. Another 69 staff members are still waiting for a switch to the UGC pay scale, while 25 others are still due for upgrades. The MCTA also wants the government to pay out overdue Dearness Allowance arrears.
The association warned that the current path will break the system. “The vacancies have placed an increasing burden on existing faculty and will adversely impact teaching quality and student support services,” the group stated in a memorandum. Without quick fixes for these pay and staffing problems, the state's academic capacity will keep sliding downhill.
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