Editor,
The heading of a news item in The Shillong Times, ‘ Lone teacher of EGH school absent for 3 years’ (ST September 3, 2022), did not shock me but it causes pain. It shows the state of affairs of education and the Education department of our state. No wonder among the smaller states, Meghalaya is leading from behind in the National Survey conducted by PIE Index 2020-21 in Primary and Secondary Education for the second consecutive year.
We are in the celebration mode of the State’s 50th anniversary. It is a time for introspection about the developments in the state. Be it road communication, industry, health, education or tourism, in all these areas, I feel we are far behind compared to other states of the North East itself. We have one of the highest infant mortalities in the state. After construction of the airport in Tura, we say ‘the runway is short’ for the flights to operate. What a colossal waste of public money and vain hope for the people of Garo Hills.
For any state to grow and move forward, education is the crucial factor, especially at the primary level. The MBOSE result of class X shows the pass percentage in Garo Hills is ranging between 28-32%. And when we take the result of only government run school, it will be less than 10%, I guess.
Primary schools, with one or two teachers is unfair and injustice is being done to those children. How can one or two teachers impart education in five class rooms? They are not super humans to be present in two class rooms at the same time! This indicates that the government is not serious about education, especially at the Primary level. Will the MDCs, MLAs, Ministers and other government officials send their children to these government schools? No one is bothered about the state of affairs in the villages, be it education, health, roads, etc.
Most of the villages have primary school and in some village’s government primary and SSA primary. We wonder the need for two government/aided schools in the same village. Probably the government is not appointing the minimum required teachers (at least one per class) because of its bearings on the exchequer. I feel one of the solutions to this issue is to merge two or three primary schools and pool up the human and material resources. Children in the villages can and will be happy to walk one or two kilometres. But are the politicians and the government willing to take such steps? No, they are more worried about vote bank and petty interests. It is high time that we wake up and revamp our education system especially at the Primary level.
We celebrated the Teacher’s Day a couple of days back. All the teachers need to respond to their inner voice, Am I a responsible and committed teacher or Am I a part of the news item, ‘Lone teacher of EGH school absent for 3 yrs’.
Yours etc.,
Bro K.J.Jose
(Principal, Montfort School, Jonglapara, NGH)
The Controversial MoU
Editor,
We have read an important news item on the front page of your esteemed daily on “Clear Mess in the first Six Areas” (ST Aug 22, 2022). A lot has been written in the media almost daily both in the English and the vernacular newspapers, on the controversial MoU signed by the two Chief Ministers (CMs) of Assam & Meghalaya on 29 March 2022 in Delhi. The MoU is indeed controversial. For example, in spite of the historical facts and geographical contiguity which are the two most important of the five agreed principles adopted by the two CMs, a large part of the Khanapara sector in the Ri Bhoi district was decided in favour of Assam. According to ‘Ki Syiem Khasi bad Synteng’ written by Dr Homiwell Lyngdoh, LMS, MBE first published in 1938, the entire Borduar area i.e. from Nongkhlaw in the west to Khanapara in the east has been occupied by the people led by Sajar Nangli (Shahjer) who left Jaintia Kingdom around the first part of the 16th century. The people living now in the villages from Bariduar where the University (USTM) is now located, up to Khanapara are still aware of this historical fact. But the present government of Meghalaya had ignored this fact; apparently it was trying to fight shy of the need to involve historians and other intellectuals so that they could decide the boundary issue on give-and-take basis. Hence instead of deciding the boundary line along the National Highway from Jorabad up to Beltola Chariali junction, much of the Khanapara area was given to Assam. It is indeed a sell-out! The second example is that a large part of the Nonglang Sirdarship created by the British was given away to Assam.
It may be recalled that in the month of July last year, after a meeting of the two CMs in Shillong, they jointly announced the five principles to the media but on the sidelines they mentioned an extraneous give-and-take principle which does not arise as many parts of the Himas/Sirdarships attached to the plains by the Britishers to serve their own revenue interest, have to be restored. The people still remember that the present CM of Assam was very much there in an important meeting in Shillong where the decision was taken to form the new government in Meghalaya in March 2018 after the general elections. Who knows the sell-out might be a quid pro quo!
Yours etc.
Junior D. Lamin
Via e-mail
Pine Mount School affairs
Editor,
It is with regret that we observe the state of affairs of Pine Mount School that has come to the fore in recent times. In any set up, if the head no longer enjoys the confidence of the masses it is imperative on the part of that head to gracefully step down to mitigate further collapse of the system.
For instance, if our Chief Minister loses the confidence of his Council of Ministers, it would surely mean the collapse of the Government of the day. The Governor would have to step in even if the Chief Minister had only 10 months left before the general elections. It would be absurd to say that the Governor only recognizes the signature of the incumbent Chief Minister on any paper.
What has happened is a tight slap on the face of the Education Department of the Government of Meghalaya to even suggest that the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination would only recognize the signature of the incumbent Principal for the next 10 months. This shows a lack of political and bureaucratic will to take action where needed. Let heaven’s light be our guide.
Yours etc.,
Allan W. Kharkongor,
(Concerned Parent)
Via email