BAGHMARA, Sep 24: In another shocker from the Garo Hills education stable, at least 16 government lower primary schools have been without any teacher since the termination of contractual teachers in the district of South Garo Hills while at least 118 teaching vacancies exist in the district.
According to the Education department sources from the district, over 1,000 students from these various government LP schools have been without an education since 2019. If one adds other government aided, ad-hoc, deficit schools in the mix, the numbers will be staggering, as per officials.
The state of education in at least two districts of Garo Hills has been in a permanent mess since the past few years. This has been exaggerated with the termination of contracts of teachers since 2019. With the government still at odds on how to work out the system itself, things look extremely bleak for the education situation in Garo Hills.
“The termination of teachers’ contracts has led to many vacancies. At least 16 schools are without teachers and we are hopeful that the Court directed roster system will be worked out soon to resolve the issue,” informed a highly placed source from the education department in SGH.
Notwithstanding the number of schools without teachers, the source informed that regular updates have been sent to the education department seeking repair of schools with flailing infrastructure, some for over a decade. However the tepid response to the appeals has literally made many of these schools stop complaining and get on with things.
“There is this thought amongst school circles that nothing will be done for education in SGH as no one seems to want to take it up. Many have stopped complaining and making do with whatever infrastructure they have left. Some like the Mindikgre Government UP School have resorted to using tarpaulins to cover the open roofs. That is how important education has become to the state,” stated a social activist from SGH, Greneth Sangma.
The recently concluded Assembly session had thrown up numbers on the climate of education in the state, with Garo Hills easily being the focus point for lower primary education.
While the education minister listed out 36 schools in the state without a single teacher, the number seemed more primed to hide than to reveal. Firstly amongst the 36 named at least one school where there has been no teacher since the past 3 years, Koknal Imong under Songsak in East Garo Hills was missed. Another school in Nabokgre under Samanda Block has been without a teacher since the past 2 years as has been the Gabil Bisa LP School. If you add the two schools named by Salmanpara AITC MLA, Winnerson Sangma, in his constituency under SWGH, the numbers just don’t add up.
Further another school which also has not had a teacher since the beginning of this year, Sokadam Balading was missed in EGH.
If you add the village of Jalwagre Songgital in EGH and Mongmabel in SGH to the mix where the appointed teachers have not been attending school since the past 3 years, the situation appears worse.
The assertion by education minister, Lahkmen Rymbui that nearby alternative schools were present to cater to the needs of the children is something so far removed from the present situation that Mars will feel closer to all those children than an education. All of this due to the lethargic department that feels more at ease in its offices than in the field.
In at least 4 school where no teachers have been appointed, which were visited upon, the nearest school was more than 3-5 kms one way making the task of attending these ‘alternative schools’ literally out of the question. As to who provided these numbers to the minister is anyone’s guess but there are better ways to hide failure than to whitewash facts.
The Right to Education is a basic right that guarantees free and compulsory education to children across the country. However the right in the state Meghalaya is being deprived to thousands of children, mostly from the Garo Hills region.
“For how long will they continue to deprive our children from the right to an education? This makes absolutely no sense that a government that wanted to prioritize education has been doing just the opposite. They seem more inclined to work on school building projects than actually providing an education. However, for all those without proper infrastructure, the wait will continue as the development of these schools is completely skewed,” felt social activist Maxbirth G Momin.
“Before any decision is taken by the government, the pros and cons need to be weighed. However with this present government, it seems the mantra is to hit first and think later. What their action has done is left thousands without an education in Garo Hills and many parts of the state. This scenario cannot be how you prioritize education,” felt Maxbirth.
