SHILLONG, Aug 3: Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Wednesday said the state government cannot change its policy as far as appointment of teachers is concerned.

Rymbui told reporters that the ongoing protest staged by the contractual teachers under the banner of the Meghalaya Lower Primary School Contractual Association (MLPSCA) is a question of non-renewal of a contractual appointment.

He said since 2011, there was an appointment as a stop-gap arrangement for a period of 59 days and it was subjected to renewal.

However, the government of Meghalaya in 2017 took the decision to conduct the Meghalaya Teachers Eligibility Test (MTET) for appointment of teachers as per the NCTE norms.

Due to this, the contractual teachers had met him many times in 2018 – 2019.

“But our stand is very clear that the policy which has been there, we cannot change that,” Rymbui said while responding to the demand for reinstating the contractual teachers.

He informed that the government had assured to take care of the concerns expressed by the contractual teachers on the age issue.

“Subsequently, the education department was the first to move the Government of Meghalaya to extend the age limit from 32 years to 37 years for Schedule Tribe (ST) candidates. Not only that, we also have provisions to give (more) years for those who are already in service for them (till 40 years),” he said.

The minister said many cleared the MTET exams and were given regular appointments.

“Accordingly, as recommended by the DSC or MPSC, those candidates got the job and those who are in contractual or officiating positions, their appointments have to be revoked,” he said adding “whatever we can we have done but beyond that we cannot do anything now.”

Rymbui also informed that the appointments to fill up the vacant posts was supposed to be completed in April but it could not be done due to the recent order passed by the Meghalaya High Court for putting a roster system in place.

“So we have to go back to the drawing board and we hope that in the short possible time we are able to complete and we will be able to float advertisements and regular appointments can be done,” he said.

On the step taken to resolve the issue of no teachers in many schools due to this delay, the minister said, “It is a complex issue. We cannot just turn the clock back. We have to move forward and I hope this temporary issue will be sorted out in the shortest possible time.”