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, JD Sangma said the Act will take some time to be implemented so there is time for training the teachers. He also informed that the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) has increased the intake of teachers wherein it will provide two-year course during a session to 700 teachers from 400 previously.
“We will put into practice the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) to improve the quality of education and there will be remedial teaching for schools if this method fails to work,” Sangma said while adding that the State Government should look into the quality and other requirements like good infrastructure.
It is learnt that the State Government is also contemplating to provide scholarships to aspiring teachers to undergo the requisite training before their appointment.
Meanwhile, HNYF president, GH Kharshanlor expressed his appreciation at the State Government for approving the RTE Act citing it as a blessing for the State especially the marginalized families in the rural areas.
While congratulating the Government for this wise step, Kharshanlor also urged that the Act be implemented as soon a possible to prevent people from rural areas to rush to urban centres in search for education. “This Act will control the level of drop outs in the state and will also control the population in the urban areas,” Kharshanlor stated. Implementation of the provisions of RTE in the State was delayed due to various reasons even as the Central Government had set 2012 as a target year to implement the scheme in all the states.
The new Education Minister RC Laloo recently informed that the State Government would try to implement this child centric and child friendly Act within this year.