Tura, July 11: TMC youth leader Richard Marak on Tuesday said that the claims and excuses of Education Minister, Rakkam A Sangma on the poor performance of Meghalaya in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index were not acceptable.
“The rankings were based on several parameters such as accessibility, network, and infrastructure, and it’s not acceptable to blame the surveyors for not visiting the schools while giving grades to the states. The state needs to focus on improving its own performance and invest in the necessary resources to provide quality education to the students,” Marak said.
Another unacceptable thing according to Marak, was the comparison of Meghalaya’s performance with bigger states like Kerala, as the states have different levels of development and resources. According to him, the government needs to take necessary steps to address the issues and improve the state’s overall ranking. He added that the education sector was critical for the development of any state, and the need for the government was to invest in the necessary resources to provide quality education to the students.
“While the Education Minister claims that the government is prioritizing education, the reality is that the NPP led MDA government has been neglecting the education sector and depriving the children of the state of their right to education. The termination of teachers’ contracts has led to many vacancies, and it’s concerning that many schools are without teachers,” Marak claimed.
Marak felt that the issues that are facing the education sector in Meghalaya are complex and require a multi-faceted approach to address them. He said that the lack of infrastructure, shortage of teachers, and inadequate training for teachers are some of the issues that need to be addressed, while also pointing out the need for students to have access to digital resources and technology to enhance their learning experience.
“The government should work with the stakeholders to identify the issues and come up with solutions that work for everyone. By investing in the necessary resources, addressing the issues of infrastructure, teacher shortage, and training, and ensuring students have access to digital resources, Meghalaya can improve its overall ranking and provide quality education to its students,” he felt.
The TMC youth leader went on to say that it was alarming that Meghalaya is the only state in the country where no teacher recruitment is done after a teacher retires, leading to schools having to be closed down and children being deprived of their right to education.
“It’s unacceptable that the government has failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide quality education to its citizens. The right to education has been passed into law, and it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that every child has access to education. It’s concerning that the NPP led MDA government has not been interested in filling up the vacant teacher posts, which has resulted in children being forced out of schools,” he stated.