By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: With the Right of Children for Free and Compulsory Education, 2009 rules framed along the lines of the Right to Education (RTE) being approved by the State Government recently, education at the elementary level is set to get a big boost in Meghalaya, particularly in the rural areas.
A cross section of people including principals, teachers, parents and members of social organizations, while speaking to The Shillong Times, observed that this Act should be implemented as soon as possible in order to boost the level of literacy in the State.
The Act will ensure free and compulsory education to all children between 6 to 14 years of age and no child will be held back or expelled during the period. A report card will be issued to the child after she/he completes the elementary education.
MBOSE Chairman, EP Kharbih said this Act will be implemented in all the schools in the State and it will give the underprivileged children a chance to go to school while at the same time improving the educational scenario in the state. He also informed that almost 25 per cent of the seats would be reserved for these underprivileged children in every school.
Meanwhile, an educationist stated that this Act would reduce stress and tension among the children as it is a child-centric and child-friendly Act. Reacting to a query on detention, she said holding back a child can help him to perform better as pushing a child to another standard can lead to unsatisfying performance in the following year. But to make sure that the quality of education is kept intact, there should be remedial ways to ensure that a weak child is given the basic knowledge.
However, with the State Government stepping up to make education compulsory for all children, what is left now is for the appeal to reach to parents and guardians of the underprivileged children to make them understand the value of education, said Principal of Laban Bengalee Girls Higher Secondary School, Sudipta Hore.
“Theoretically, the approval is a positive step but practically, how far it is applicable, we have to wait as the urge and thirst for knowledge should come from the respective children and parents while the process of admitting them will be a totally different thing,” she said.
Meanwhile, reacting to a query on the presence of a large number of untrained teachers in the state, Director of School Education and Literacy, execution of the project lacks the required expertise and they do not rule out corruption as the reason for the huge escalation in project cost.
‘Agia-Nangalbibra project nearing completion’
The Agia-Nangalbibra transmission line is expected to be completed in the next few months, Power Minister AT Mondal said here on Thursday.
“We are targeting to complete the project within the next two to three months,” he added.
He however said that it would take another year for the transmission line to draw power to its full capacity since a huge transformer has to be installed.
“We would be floating the tender for the supply of the transformers very soon. This transformer, which is required for the project, is not readily available in the market. The companies would manufacture this kind of transformer only after getting the order,” Mondal said.
The Power Minister however maintained that the Agia-Nangalbibra transmission line would be able to draw power to Garo Hills at the time of emergency even before installation of this transformer.
“We can utilize the Agia sub-station for transfer of power to Garo Hills during emergency. We are looking for an agreement with Assam to provide power through the sub-station if there is a breakdown in the 132-KV Mawlai-Nongstoin-Rongjeng power line which supplies power to the three Garo hills districts,” he said.
Responding to queries, Mondal said, the project has been delayed due to land acquisition problems on the Assam side.
The problem, however, has been solved with a slight re-alignment of the project site.