SHILLONG, June 6: BJP leader and advisor to the Education Department, HM Shangpliang on Wednesday expressed concern about the increasing rate of school dropout in the state and said a special study would be conducted on it.
“It is a big concern for us that the dropout rate is increasing by the day. We will be conducting a special study to know the reasons and find a solution,” he said.
Stating that the New Education Policy provides opportunities and avenues for such students who cannot carry on their studies due to many factors, he said these students should also be given an opportunity to take up certain vocational skills for helping them earn their livelihoods.
Shangpliang said the school dropouts would be kept in mind for vocational skill development, which would be a part of the education policy of the state. “We intend to have skill development from classes 8 to 12. This means the students will be imparted different skills over five years so that they can involve themselves in some kind of skill or the other,” he said.
In case a student is unable to study after reaching class 10, he or she can pick up any of the skills learnt to start earning a livelihood, he added.
Shangpliang said the government had in the last Assembly session made a commitment that every district will have a review and monitoring committee. “The education minister and I shall attend 12 review meetings in the 12 districts,” he said.
“These review meetings will be able to sort, solve and listen to the problems of each and every district. The minister agreed to my suggestion to invite the local MLAs to such meetings for flagging problems and providing suggestions,” he said.
Handling the issues at the district level would save the local stakeholders the trouble of travelling to and from the state capital, Shangpliang said.
Issues of infrastructure, school attendance, non-attendance of teachers, etc., can be sorted out at the district level, he pointed out. “Stock-taking after the district-level review would give us an idea of what kind of assistance the schools in every district need,” he said.
The BJP leader said a list of schools with dilapidated buildings has been prepared for reconstruction and repair. The engineering wing of the department and other organisations would be energised for the purpose, he said.
The attendance of teachers and children through a centrally-sponsored app and the performance of the teachers and children would also be factored in, he said.
