Salary hike for RMSA teachers under examination

The RMSA is a government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of universalization of secondary education in a time bound manner.

The implementation of the scheme started from 2009-10.

It is envisaged to achieve the enrolment rate of 75% at secondary stage of implementation of the scheme by providing secondary school within a reasonable distance of 3.5kms in any habitation without secondary school.

Till date the Ministry of Education has approved and sanctioned 81 secondary schools in the state and as such the state has made 79 schools functional and recruited 379 assistant teachers of which 63 are headmaster/headmistress and 316 assistant teachers.

“With regards to level pay between headmasters and assistant teachers, the state government is examining the matter for enhancement of salary to headmaster,” Rymbui said in the Assembly while replying to a zero hour notice tabled by Mawsynram MLA HM Shangpliang.

He added, “The teachers under this scheme are appointed under contract basis, therefore, the regularization of such post cannot be considered and signing of agreement is mandatory for any contract.”

The minister also informed the Assembly that the state government has received approval for 9 Residential Teachers’ Quarters in most interior areas to ease the travel time and expenses of teachers.

He said since all these schools are government funded and hence there are certain restrictions for the school to charge tuition fees from parents. Therefore, the school authorities depend only on the financial support of the government.

However, similar to the case of salary, the delay in the release of fund from the Government of India, the school maintenance grant could not be released in time.

The financial support under maintenance grant to schools, varies from school to school and depends on the enrollment.

In the current academic session, the state has released Rs 49.50 lakh to schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 per schools depending on enrollment.

Admitting that that some of the schools under RMSA do not have access to regular power supply and water supply due to its remoteness, Rymbui said efforts are being made to find innovative steps under several state and central scheme such as Jal Jeevan Mission and Solar Panel to schools as immediate measure.

According to him, 25 schools under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan shall be installed with solar panel within this year.

“I assure that the state government is viewing all these impediments in the education system very seriously, each representation are being taken up at the highest level, however, solutions are only forcoming in due course of time with the active support of the teaching community, leaders of the community and public representatives,” he said.

The education department has to address several quality issues and one of them is to provide each and every child the best of education and that can happen only if the teaching community are kept at the highest level of dignity.

The minister also reiterated that the department will examine these representations in consultation with all stakeholders and also taking the opportunity created to SSA teachers by other neighbouring states on the applicability of such opportunity in the state.

The state government is seriously looking into the plight of teachers at large in the state despite the financial contraints and aspire to bring about change in the attitude and to uplift and improve the welfare of teachers, he further asserted.

By Our Reporter