Shillong: The Meghalaya 4th Teacher Association is fighting back against calls to fire Education Commissioner and Secretary Vijay Kumar Mantri. They claim his Special Package Framework, or SPF, finally fixed the messy pay gaps between teachers doing the same jobs at different schools. General Secretary Federick Lyngdoh Tongkhar told reporters the group rejects the ouster demands circulating in the media.
Tongkhar insisted that Mantri keeps an open door for staff. He noted, "Before taking any decision, he does not decide on his own but calls the teachers for discussions." The association wants Mantri to stay on the job to push more improvements to the SPF forward.
The Meghalaya Schools Welfare Development Association Central Body is also backing the Secretary. In a letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, president H.M. Marbaniang argued that policy disputes should not turn into personal attacks against officials. The group warned the state against letting political squabbles damage the Education Department.
Teachers were previously stuck in various categories like Science Grant, Fourth Teacher, SSA, and Ad hoc, which led to uneven pay. The association stated, "The Association therefore strongly disagrees with any attempt to personally target or hold Vijay Kumar Mantri responsible for policy decisions of the government." They believe the current system is the best path toward uniform pay for all educators.
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