By Our Reporter
Shillong: A survey conducted by the Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) (ASER) to analyse the academic progress in Meghalaya showed that 19 per cent of the teenagers in the state aged between 15-16 have either not been to school or are school drop outs.
Not surprisingly though for a state like Meghalaya, where two of the main tribes follow the matrilineal system, 22.2 per cent of the boys are not in school compared to 15.7 per cent girls.
ASER, which was started in 2005, is a research organization in children’s primary education that submits a report every year to see whether the funds allotted by the government are efficiently used in schools.
The ASER, with the help of the Ri Bhoi Federation, conducted a study on the various issues relating to education.
All the districts of Meghalaya were visited where children, aged between 5 to 16 years, were tested on subjects like English, Khasi and Garo. The organization also tried to find out if the schools provided the students with facilities like blackboards, tables, chairs etc.
“We tested if the children could read the various languages. Until and unless a child is able to read, he cannot go further,” said Ashok Mutum, the Delhi based ASER manager of North East.
Meanwhile, the report did throw up a few surprises as it stated that 4.8 per cent of the children in standard V, 4.2 percent in standard VI and VII and 2.2 per cent of the students in standard VII cannot even read letters.
Similarly, the report on Arithmetic shows that 4.8 per cent of the students in standard V, 4.7 per cent in standard VI, 4.4 per cent in standard VII and 2.2 per cent of the students in standard VIII cannot even recognize numbers 1-9.
The student and teacher attendance in schools with less than 50% enrolled children present (average) for the year 2011 is 12.2%.
Around 79.8% children between 15-16 years are in Government schools while 8.6% are in private institutions and 11.5% are not in either.
The schools meeting selected Right to Education (RTE) norms on facilities such as building (playground, office) for the year 2010 was 33.6 per cent while it is 41.6 per cent for 2011. Mid-day meal served in school on the day of visit for the year 2010 is 50.9 per cent while in 2011 it went down to is 35.4 per cent.
The data collected by the ASER is also provided to the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to aid them in their works.
The organization generates a list of 30 villages and produces it in the months of September- October.
“Ours is a very fundamental test”, said the ASER manger for North East.