Shillong, June 26: With 677 government schoolteacher posts lying vacant and 31,000 MTET-qualified candidates waiting, the JNC Western Zone on Wednesday urged Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui to release recruitment ads immediately or risk losing a generation of teachers.
Led by President Hamehi Bamon, the group handed a memorandum to Rymbui and the Education Secretary, flagging a staffing crisis from Shillong to Baghmara. Ampati tops the list with 84 vacancies, followed by Tura with 80, Baghmara with 75, and Resubelpara with 71. East Khasi Hills has 59 posts open, while Jaintia Hills accounts for 102.
JNC warned that many of the 31,000 MTET-qualified candidates are hitting the age ceiling, turning merit into missed chances. The group linked Meghalaya’s falling education standards directly to empty classrooms and demanded a transparent, time-bound hiring process.
“More teachers means less unemployment and better schools,” Bamon said, calling the shortage a double blow to youth and students.
Rymbui told the delegation the government will move on recruitment and is likely to issue the advertisement for the posts within the next few months this year.
