TURA: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has assured of bringing about massive structural changes and rationalization in the educational polices in the state. The CM assured this while speaking as the Chief Guest in the Golden Jubilee celebration of Mothers’ Union Secondary School, Tura on Monday.
Going deeper into the matter, the Chief Minister said that the overall scenario of school education was very challenging in the state, and in this regard, the situation Garo hills in particular, was worrisome and alarming where the overall pass percentages in Secondary and Higher Secondary Board Exams stood far below the average pass percentages of the state and therefore, Garo Hills need special attention, he said.
Out of every 100 students who appeared in the Board Exams, only some 25 students pass the exam in a particular district of Garo Hills, ’that is a fact and challenge’ he expressed concerned. When analysed the factors responsible for such a poor state of affairs, it has come to the fore that only one but there are myriad of factors like not enough infrastructures, not having enough sufficient furniture, delay in completion of syllabus, last minute rush for course completion, besides shortcomings on the part of the government, teachers and parents are responsible to great extent, the Chief Minister, pointed out.
Therefore, taking all those shortcomings into considerations and with a view to improve the educational scenario, the Government has started a new programme specifically for Garo Hills wherein the Deputy Commissioners of all the five districts have been asked to identify some 20 odds least performing schools in terms of results in their respective districts and come up with action oriented innovations like creating extra class rooms, extension of electricity and drinking water facilities etc to try improve the education levels.
Drawing the overall status of state of affairs in the entire state, Conrad Sangma, said that there are many schools with no student and conversely, there are schools where the ratio of teachers does not commensurate with the number of students as per the norms. He said that government was aware of the problems and admitted that changes are going to happen overnight although the government is according the top most priority to the education sector having earmarked Rs.2,200 Crores for education alone out of its total budgetary outlay of Rs.4,000 Crores.