SHILLONG, June 15: Meghalaya was recently declared as one of the worst performers in the country in terms of education in a report of the Education Ministry. In view of this, the state government has been recommended to appoint an “impartial independent professional agency comprising education experts (free of political and bureaucratic interference) to study, review and assess the educational scenario in Meghalaya”.
In a memorandum to the government, an organisation called New Dawn Meghalaya said that weightage must be given towards an examination of the government’s own schools (60%) in the study as it is apparent even by cursory viewing that it is they that are most in need of rejuvenation.
“30% weightage given towards government-assisted schools and the remaining 10% weightage given to privately held schools,” it added.
The organisation also pointed out that the 100-crore investment recently announced in light of this report is a welcomed development but society needs more initiative than simply cash infusion.
“We have had tremendous investments since 2012 from ADB-backed loans but the sad reality is that our state continues to languish behind the rest of the country in terms of Education. Money, therefore, is not the only issue; many other factors are at play and must be identified and rectified,” the New Dawn said.
The organisation also made several other recommendations to bring the education sector in the state on the right track.