Shillong: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) is escalating its fight against the Meghalaya government regarding the Structured Pay Framework (SPF). Party president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit branded the initiative an anti-teacher, anti-student, and anti-education policy that threatens to gut the teaching profession. He told the media, "Education is a very important issue for the VPP. If we neglect education, we cannot strengthen our society."
Basaiawmoit accused the government of manipulating the public by framing recent salary hikes and scholarships as original achievements. He argued that the administration is ignoring past precedents while exploiting high unemployment rates to force through a substandard pay structure. Under the current rules, the SPF will govern new hires in government and deficit schools from Lower Primary to Higher Secondary levels until the end of the 2027-28 fiscal year.
Teacher unions are pushing back hard. The Khasi Jaintia Deficit School Teachers’ Association (KJDSTA) slammed government notifications from August 12 and 19. These orders abolished established sanctioned posts, even those with pending interviews, and moved them into the lower-tier SPF. KJDSTA president Boswell S Pala demanded the immediate withdrawal of the policy, noting that downgrading these roles sets a dangerous precedent.
The Garo Hills Deficit School Teachers and Employees Association (GHDSTEA) joined the opposition. President Dr. Brian Sengsrang Ch Marak labeled the framework a grave injustice that forces teachers into unequal service conditions despite performing identical duties. The mandate, overseen by the Director of School Education and Literacy and the School Education Mission Authority of Meghalaya, remains a major point of contention for the state education sector.
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