From Our Correspondent
TURA: A two day Bal Mela organized by the East Garo Hills unit of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) at the district headquarter Williamnagar was on Thursday inaugurated by Prof. E. D. Thomas, the Pro Vice Chancellor of Tura Campus, NEHU.
Along with the rest of the districts of the state the district unit of SSA, the two day Bal Mela is being organized in celebration of the year of the youth (2012) starting from November 22.
Speaking on the occasion as the Chief Guest, Prof. E. D. Thomas touched on the education scenario of elementary education particularly of East Garo Hills district and said that the education scenario especially of rural areas of the state was not very encouraging.
He also spoke at length on the maladies of school education facing the educationists and educational administrators today and said that there are large numbers of habitations without sufficient schooling and classroom facilities where toilets and drinking water facilities are not provided.
“In many such schools there are insufficient teachers and where there are teachers, many of them are untrained” he said and added that another malady afflicting the elementary education system is teacher absenteeism.
Prof. E. D. Thomas said, a number of classes in many schools are being serviced by proxy teachers and not by those who have been appointed to do the job.
Looking at the scene of elementary education and how well things are doing as far as literacy scenes are concerned he said “I am glad that through the SSA programme such a thing as Bal Mela or children’s fair is being organised; for such activities will attract the children to go to school”.
Meanwhile, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Guest of Honour of the function B. Hajong addressed on the disparity in Indian education and terming India as a “land of contrast”, he drew the attention of everyone present to the existing large gaps in the educational facilities between the urban and rural areas.
Likening children to flowers, he said that children in the villages do not blossom due to lack of educational facilities and a sense of insecurity is greatly damaging the rural children. He advocated the idea that self confidence of the children is to be enhanced and empowerment be lent to them and providing a fun filled environment to the children through an event like Bal Mela is one way to make the children happy to learn in the schools.
Others who spoke on the occasion include DMC, A. B. Marak, DSEO, East Garo Hills G. Burman and SDSEO J. Kharpuri.