By Albert Thyrniang
On 20th June, 2013 there was a news item in the Salanti Janera headlined, “GH-o Science aro Commerce College chu.ongja: ASWA”. The translation (if correct) goes thus: “In Garo Hills Science and Commerce Colleges are insufficient: ASWA”. The A.chick Students’ Welfare Association (ASWA) correctly observed that in the entire Garo Hills there are only a handful of institutions offering Science and Commerce at the higher secondary and degree levels. Though the ASWA has named just two colleges in Tura, namely, Don Bosco College and Tura Government College, I think there are two or three more elsewhere. For example in Williamnagar, East Garo Hills and in North Garo Hills there is one each at least. It’s true, however, that Science and Commerce institutes are scarce in this part of the state.
In the report the students’ association reminded the Chief Minister of his commitment made earlier on different occasions that Science and Commerce Streams would be opened in certain institutions in the region to give students the opportunity to opt for the above two streams. However, the promises are still elusive. They are still empty. They are still unfulfilled. It seems education is not a priority for successive governments. The slow and sluggish tactics in taking decisions do not auger well for education. Even in other districts in Khasi and Jaintia Hills, it is the missionary schools which have taken upon themselves the burden of providing science and commerce education in rural areas. The government has ceded the educational responsibility to private hands.
For the progress and development of any community 40-45 percent of its students need to take up science and commerce at the + 2 level and beyond. Below you will see that at the moment we are nowhere near this benchmark. A science student who does well in HSSLC examination has a host of options – medicine, engineering, IT and in fact any field of profession. Choices are almost unlimited! For this, opportunities and facilities must be provided. In Garo Hills these are acutely lacking. As a result only few students have the opportunity to study Science.
The trend in Meghalaya has been to have a glut of students taking up the Arts, followed by Commerce and just a few opting for Science. The MBOSE HSSLC examination result 2013 reveals exactly the point. In comparison to Arts the percentage of students who study science and commerce is very low. In HSSLC there were as many as 41,007 Arts candidates while there were only 3238 Science and 2458 Commerce candidates respectively. The total number of candidates who appeared in the three streams in HSSLC examination 2013 was 46,703. To have a clearer idea of the imbalance let us convert figures into percentage. Arts candidates constitute a massive 87.80%, Science just 6.93% and commerce further down to only 5.26% of the total number of candidates. Clearly Arts dominates. Science and Commerce are negligible. The figures must be corrected.
The very lopsided enrolment in the Arts stream is not a healthy sign. It leads to unemployment. In one year itself we have 41,007 Arts candidates. From them 23,093 passed and 17,914 failed. Those who failed will do petty works for survival. But those who passed will graduate in three years’ time. They will be termed as educated. But who will give them jobs? The government? Not likely! They will end up taking tuition classes for school children thus compounding the curse of coaching classes. The point to be driven home is that disproportionate Arts education leads to educated unemployment. Therefore, more students must be enrolled in the Science and Commerce streams.
Mere enrolments does not mean more enrolment. To pursue Science and Commerce, students must be qualified. ‘Perform in the SSLC examination’ is the blunt advice to students! In good institutions in the state capital the cut off mark for Science and Commerce is over 80% and 70% respectively in Mathematics, Science and English. Even if there are Science and Commerce institutes in every district, are there sufficient qualified students to enrol in these streams? How many SSLC candidates pass with 80% and 70% in the above mentioned three crucial subjects in rural areas? The few who do and those who secure above 60% will rush to Shillong or Tura. They will never remain in their neighborhood.
There is large scale migration of rural students to cities or urban settings every year. Even if facilities are available locally, there is a craze among students to study in cities or bigger towns. In Khasi Hills, Shillong is the No. 1 destination. In Garo Hills it is Tura. Efforts must be made to retain rural students in their locality at least till the higher secondary level. A 15/16 year boy or girl is not ready for a life of unrestricted freedom, unmonitored friendship and unchecked use of mobile phones in cities. Away from the watchful eyes of parents lead even bright students with star marks in SSLC to falter and fail. But unless facilities are created in rural areas and opportunities given how do we retain students in their birth place? Therefore, in every district one institution offering Commerce and Science is a necessity, not a luxury.
One of the reasons for the limited number of students who are able to take up Science and Commerce at the higher secondary level and beyond is the poor foundation in Mathematics, Science and English right from primary level. There are few Mathematics and Science teachers who have the knack to make these subjects interesting. Somehow the subjects are portrayed as hard nuts to crack. Children develop a fear for Mathematics and Science from very early on and that fear is reminded perpetually. Class after class, year after year they fail in these subjects. MBOSE has made the situation worse. Now you can fail in either Mathematics or Science and yet you are declared passed. Students from class VI onwards take no interest in these subjects as they know for certain that it is not mandatory to pass in both papers in SSLC examination. We increase the pass percentage but the scientific temper in the student community decreases. “Every action has an opposite reaction”.
There is an acute shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers in the entire Garo Hills. Teachers who are in service are mostly from our neighbouring state, Assam. Local teachers are few. Many schools in the rural areas have no Science and Mathematics teachers. Even in class IX and X there are no Mathematics and Science teachers for the whole year. In internal examinations students are given 30 % grace marks. But what happens in SSLC examinations? Massive failure in these subjects!
Science education is, therefore, the need of the hour to overcome the shortage of Mathematics and Science teachers particularly in rural areas. Science, Commerce and even vocational institutes at the higher secondary and degree level should be set up in rural areas of the state. Obstacles like lack of lecturers, insufficient numbers of students, lack of infrastructure and financial resources abound. But these challenges can be gradually minimized if not overcome. The way forward is for the government to be bold in opening Science and Commerce institutions in rural settings. Private initiatives in this regard must be encouraged and supported.
How long do have to depend on ‘outsiders’ for Science and Mathematics teaching? How long should we deprive our children the right to have Mathematics and Science teachers? Why should their mathematical and scientific mind be left unexplored, undeveloped and retarded? Why should they be denied the right of a strong foundation in Mathematics and Science? If we want Mathematics and Science teachers for our future generations in rural areas we have to produce them. If we want doctors, engineers, professionals in every field we have to produce them. There is no magic! There is no other alternative! It’s a challenge the government, civil society and the student community must accept. The answer to shortage of mathematics teachers and unemployment is Science, commerce and vocational education! The journey may be long and arduous but we must start somewhere.