M’laya minister accuses VPP of exploiting teachers’ cause

Meghalaya Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui on Friday accused the opposition Voice of the People Party (VPP) of exploiting the teachers’ cause for political mileage.
Rymbui was reacting to VPP President Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit’s demands that the government stop harassing teachers and withdraw anti-teacher policies.
The opposition VPP had also demanded that the government cease requiring long-serving teachers to clear the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) at the twilight of their careers.
Rymbui said Basaiawmoit is not just misleading; it is a deliberate distortion of facts aimed at provoking fear among teachers for political mileage.
“This kind of opportunistic narrative, especially on an issue as sensitive as teachers’ careers, is irresponsible and deeply unfair to the very community they claim to defend,” he stated.
The minister said that Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) is “not state imposed,” but arises from Central law under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and upheld by the Supreme Court in September 2025. The court has ruled that all in-service teachers (Classes 1-8) with more than five years of remaining service must clear TET within two years (by 31 August 2027.)
Rymbui said, only teachers with less than five years of service are not required to clear TET for continuation, though it remains relevant for promotions.
“So, who is misleading teachers here? Is the Government bound by a Supreme Court directive, or is the opposition conveniently ignoring it?” the Minister asked.
“What the VPP is doing is nothing short of political theatre. They have developed a pattern of misrepresentation and half-truths, hoping to create unrest where none is warranted. But this strategy will not work,” Rymbui stated.
On the other hand, the minister said that the Conrad Sangma-led government has supported the teachers by filing a review petition before the Supreme Court, challenging the retrospective implications of the judgement.
The state’s largest teachers’ body, the Meghalaya Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan Schools Association has also approached the court with its own review petition.
“The state government has taken several steps by conducting at least three MTET examinations before the Supreme Court deadline, published a dedicated MTET guidebook to support preparation,” the minister informed.
He also informed that the Chief Minister is personally engaging with the Union Minister of Education to seek a fair and practical resolution.
“The government is working through lawful, constructive channels to protect teachers. The opposition is working through distortion, exaggeration, and theatrics. Teachers deserve honesty, not alarmism. They deserve solutions, not slogans. And they certainly deserve better than being used as a tool for political propaganda,” Rymbui said.